Since We Found Serenity
by KartheyM
Summary: (Post-"Serenity" film) It's been a long time since Kaylee and Simon Tam have given any thought to the old smuggling crew. Six years, in fact. So many changes during that time-but when a simple heist job turns into something much bigger, Captain Reynolds needs their expertise, and the crew must once again band together against the overreaching Alliance-or the galaxy is doomed.
1. Coming Home

The marketplace of Echelon was always busy. People had no advertising shingles or posted signs, so the sellers called out their wares, hoping that a customer would feel compelled to acquire the merchandise upon hearing.

The Mrs. Doctor, as she was known, weaved easily through the crowd, her flouncing, well-bustled skirt just barely sweeping the dusty ground, while the Hundo-Huihuang parasol she twirled against her shoulder kept the sun out of her eyes. It wouldn't do for her to start sprouting freckles like she used to.

In spite of this, she couldn't resist tilting her head back, looking at the sky overhead, and wishing the thing she had wished for every day since she and her husband the doctor settled down—a wish they could never have.

"Lady Kylie! Lady Kylie!"

It took her a few moments to realize the merchant was calling to her. She lowered her gaze and swept over.

"Yes, Jango, what do you have for me?" asked Kylie T— (Oh, what was it this time? Thorne! That was it!)

Jango the salvage expert proudly hefted a block of machinery onto the surface of his booth. "Found this, just outside of Maladon, just like you asked. Ain't she a beauty?"

Mrs. Kylie Thorne studied the hulking engine. At one time, she would have wholeheartedly agreed with the scrounger. The engine was beautiful in its simplicity; one glance told her what it would look like when it ran properly, what sound it made... Sweet music, smooth lines—

Kaylie Thorne stepped away from the booth. Too many memories! Too much!

"I—er, not today, Jango." She scurried to the edible produce section.

There among the hanging baskets, the brilliant flowers, the pungent spices, she was safe. Not too many memories here.

"Strawberries! Ripe strawberries!"

Immediately, Kylie craned her neck to see where the cry came from. Her eye caught a splash of red, and she eagerly dashed over.

"Are those strawberries, Brinna?" She gushed.

The old woman gave a six-toothed grin. "Bless yer! I's wond'rin' if yer w's gonna come disyer way! Here, luv, 'ave a burry!" She offered a plump morsel to the giddy young woman.

Kylie moaned happily as she bit into it and let the juices flood her mouth. "Mmph, Sim—Silas would love these! I'll take a whole pound of them, Brinna!" She opened her purse and pulled out a few credits.

As the woman weighed her purchase, Kylie felt a pricking sensation unfold across her neck; someone was watching her. She glanced up, but no one seemed to be looking with any particular interest.

No one but the boy.

She caught his dark eyes peeking over some crates stacked nearby. When she paused her gaze to get a better look at him, he ducked. Kylie got only a glimpse of thick, copper hair like a mass of tangled wiring, before the boy vanished.

Curious, Kylie accepted her strawberries and meandered down the alley. She arrived at the crates, but the boy was no longer there. In the place he stood, Kylie stopped down to retrieve a small plastic dinosaur.

Her heart lurched; the last place she had seen a toy like this—

She immediately searched again for the boy. There he was, watching her from the end of the alley while digging in his jacket for something. By the time she gathered her composure to pursue him, he was off and running. Sure enough, at the corner she found yet another dinosaur, and glimpsed the shock of red hair disappearing down another corner.

Like a little bird following a trail of breadcrumbs, the woman dashed after the boy, picking up the plastic dinosaurs as she went. He took so many turns that by the time she thought to check her surroundings, all she could tell was that they were a ways outside the city. No more people milled about. It was so still she could hear the boy's footsteps in the distance... And something else... Something she didn't expect to hear ever again... A sound she knew as well as her own heartbeat.

Bright red strawberries colored the dingy sand as Mrs. Dr. Silas Thorne stared at the mismatched hull of a starship that had certainly seen better days. Immediately, she grabbed her commlink.

"Hello, this is Doctor Thorne."

"Simon."

"Pardon? Is that you, Kylie? We're the Thornes, remember? My name isn't—"

 _"Simon!"_

"I thought we agreed not to use our real names unless we're—"

 ** _"SIMON."_**

A sigh. "Where are you?"

Kaylee Tam couldn't get the words to come. The boy waved to her from the cockpit window...

And his mother...

And the captain.

"Simon, I've come home!"

Silence on his end. Then—

"Don't let them take off without me. I've packed us some clothes. I'm coming with you!"

"Hurry, Simon!" said Kaylee, as she climbed up the cargo ramp of the Serenity.


	2. Party Crashers

_**Six Years Earlier...**_

The two smugglers watched carefully as the client surveyed the shipment.

"This everything?" He grunted.

The first mate, a woman, rolled her eyes. "Oh come on Yanzi, you know we have never held anything back—"

The captain held out his hand to stop her with a tap on the shoulder.

"It's all there," he answered. "Fifty pounds of authentic Philadelphian delicacies."

The client grinned as he lifted a crystalline sweetmeat and held it up to the light. Letting it drop back in the crate, he announced, "Three hundred credits."

The woman flinched. "You twisted scrounger! We carted that halfway across the galaxy for you! You make three times that in profits!"

"Zoe!" The captain cut in firmly. "Stand down!"

Zoe stopped talking, but she still held her stance like she still very much wanted to punch Yanzi, the owner of the most unique restaurant in the quadrant—ultimately the Galaxy. Or so he'd like to think.

"Stand down, Zoe," Captain Mal repeated.

Zoe backed up. "Yes, Captain," she said flatly.

"Now," Mal continued, stepping forward and assuming control of the situation. "It's a powerful dangerous journey for a box of crystals," he said slowly, holding Yanzi's gaze, "and a lot of risk just to keep your little cache of goodies stocked. You wouldn't want to lose customers because someone else has delicacies at a better price than you do, would you?"

Yanzi's mouth twitched, his mind racing to figure out what the captain might be planning.

"No," he answered.

"You wouldn't want a customer coming in and telling you what price they would pay for the delicacies, even though you have already informed them of this price you set, would you? Don't want them changing the price on you, just because they don't want to pay so much."

Yanzi started to sweat, as the captain's words began to hit home. He said nothing.

"The price we agreed on," continued the captain, "was one hundred credits per every ten pounds. Now, this here crate is fifty pounds. Zoe?" He directed the comment to her without taking his eyes off the client. "How much would that be, according to the price we agreed on?"

"Round about five hundred credits, Captain," she answered.

"Five hundred," Malcolm repeated.

"But—" Yanzi started to protest. "My business—"

Malcolm nodded. "I understand; the economy hits us all hard at times. Lucky for you, I am willing to negotiate. We'll take the three hundred credits, and leave you with thirty pounds of crystals. That's the deal, and we can sell the other twenty pounds to someone else."

"No!" Yanzi snapped, gripping the edge of the crate. "These are mine! My shipment!"

"Then give us our price!" Zoe retorted.

Yanzi hesitated for only a moment. "Fine!" He signaled his henchmen. "Show 'em the money, boys."

The burly men brought forward a case full of credits—all five hundred of them. Yanzi grinned as the shamefaced Zoe accepted the case, and offered the pair a sloppy salute. "Pleasure doing business with ya," he goaded.

Zoe felt Mal's hand grip her elbow tight, or she would have laid into the slimy swindler right then and there. The two entered their borrowed land skimmer in silence and commenced the long drive back to the ship.

Zoe didn't bother even looking at the captain to know where his thoughts were going.

"All right, say it," she snapped.

"Say what?" Mal replied. "What do you want me to say?"

Zoe sighed and hung her head, groping at the spot under her shirt where she had hung her wedding ring, the last piece of her that bore any connection to Hoban.

"I'm not ready," she murmured.

"Your words, Zoe, not mine," Mal said softly. "I did ask, you know; you were in there a long time. Anybody would be glad for some space after what happened to all of us, but you, most of all."

"What Happened" was the fiasco on Miranda seven weeks before, when her world came crashing down in a heap of twisted shrapnel, an explosion detonated to save them all, at the expense of the one man in the galaxy who really knew her and adored her for who she was. Mal knew her, sure, but they were two halves of the same coin, forever back-to-back but never face-to-face; Hoban was all the little parts she had been missing her entire life. And he paid the ultimate price to save her life, to save all of them.

"I said I was ready, and I am," Zoe replied. Two weeks straight of mourning in the empty docking bay where Inara's private shuttle once sat was enough to recover her composure, though it would be some time before she regained the old spark.

"And I trust you, Zoe," said Mal, "I always have. Though I admit, you were a little skittish around Yanzi back there." He gave her a small nudge. "I thought I was supposed to be the mouthy one, and you were always the strong, silent type."

Zoe felt the guilt knotting in her stomach. "I nearly ruined the job, didn't I?"

"Not a bit!" Malcolm allowed himself a small grin of victory. "I think your little rampage was the reason he gave in and let us have the full payment." He glanced and saw that Zoe still frowned. "Doesn't it make you feel a little better to blow off some of that pent-up steam?"

"With all due respect, Captain," Zoe said in a strained, calm voice, "what I feel like right now is shooting something, so if you don't give me a reasonable alternative, I reckon it might be you!"

Malcolm laughed as the hull of the Serenity came into view. "That's my girl! Don't you start scratching that itchy trigger finger just yet." They climbed out and Jayne opened the ramp for them. The gunman's perpetual scowl eased when he saw the case of money Mal carried.

"Well! Didn't think the old skinflint had it in him," muttered Jayne.

Mal wagged his head. "He's probably been holding out on us for years, but Zoe scared the credits right out of him!"

That brought a small curve to her lips.

"So," Jayne said as he closed the ramp. "Where to next, Captain?"

Mal shrugged. "Oh, I've a hankering for a good, rousing dustup. River?" He called up to the cockpit.

The pale face appeared at the door without a word.

"Set a course for Persephone," he instructed. "I'm thinking it's a while since we visited our friend Badger."

* * *

The docks of Persephone held considerably less color and sparkle to them than they once did. The market population had reduced to about half, and most of them sold wares such as machine parts or foodstuffs.

Mal nodded to River.

"If it's all right," he said, "I'd like you to do a little shopping here; there are some parts we need for repairs, and our provisions are getting low."

River nodded. "You can trust me," she promised.

"Persephone's a good place," Malcolm assured her. "We know this port. Close up the ship, Zoe and Jayne will come with me."

The young girl smiled. "Aye-aye, Captain!" She gave a small salute.

Mal felt the sense of foreboding worsen when they arrived at the alley usually dominated by Badger's tent, and found it empty. He stopped in the middle of the dead end.

"Badger?" He called loudly.

A loose, rasping cough erupted behind him. The trio turned as a scruffy, bedraggled figure crawled out from under a blanket held aloft by short sticks. The bearded man squinted up at them.

"As I live and breathe," gasped a familiar accent, "Captain Malcolm Reynolds! Is it really you?"

"Badger!" Malcolm kept his tone light and friendly as he assisted the erstwhile kingpin to his feet and watched him dust off his jacket and adjust his bowler as if nothing had changed. "What are you doing down here? The way you had things set up when we parted ways I always assumed that the next time we saw each other, you'd be living like a king!"

Badger snorted. "Of what, might I ask? Persephone? I'd sooner be king of bloody hell, thank you!" He gestured them all forward to walk as they discussed business.

"What's got you in such a sunny mood?"

They entered the old tavern, which had been walled off to occupy only a portion of the space. Jayne counted six patrons, plus the bartender. Badger gripped his mug, but only took tiny sips.

"Sorry to break your hearts, boys and girl," he nodded to Zoe, "but things aren't what they used to be. There's a new leader in town, and he's been rough on the economy in these parts."

Zoe frowned. "Somebody else is running the black markets?"

Badger nailed her with a look as the liquor invigorated him. "Somebody's bloody running me!" He snarled. "Bogeyman from the Core, calls himself Abbadon; nobody knows if that's his real name, or what he uses for official Alliance business, but there's rumors around that he is somebody pretty high up."

"Rumors that he probably started," Mal mused. "So what does this Abaddon have on you?"

Badger plucked the bowler off his head as he gave the captain a dry look. "Only my bleeding ledger!"

The smuggling crew kept a respectful silence; a kingpin's ledger was as dear as his own soul.

Meanwhile, Badger's mind had done some thinking. "That's what... Well, I mean, now that you're here—" he stopped and glanced suggestively at each of them. "I assume you came looking for a job, hey? How would you like to steal my ledger back from Abaddon?"

"Like to?" Jayne snarled. "Since when did we do anything for you because we liked you?"

"Here now!" Badger retorted. "The last job you did for me, I paid, we squared up! You do this one—"

"And you'll owe us?" Zoe cut in.

Badger's flinch demonstrated how distasteful was the idea that he would owe anyone, much less a crew he used to have on his payroll.

Malcolm leaned forward. "No," he said. "We need more."

Badger scowled. "Bloody cheek—"

"You said yourself, Abaddon's very influential in the Core. There needs to be more at stake for us, if we're going up against the Alliance."

"Shushhh!" Badger raised a grubby finger to his lips. "Not so loud, you numpty!" He waited a beat, but no one backed down. He sighed. "All right; the ledger Abaddon stole, it's on a device, a memory stick." He raised a finger, keeping his voice low. "Also on this device are many top-secret Alliance files, very important ones that my best men couldn't crack."

"You put your ledger alongside a bunch of Alliance files?" Mal asked incredulously.

Badger shrugged and plopped his hat back on. "I figured the Alliance files would be enough of a screen to hide my own data, and besides, there was plenty of room for all that information on just the one little stick—you know what? That's beside the point! The point is that Abaddon thinks he has just my ledger."

"As long as he doesn't know about the Alliance files," Zoe mused, "he has no reason to try accessing the device himself."

Badger nodded. "Not he! More than likely he's got it stashed somewhere in his headquarters, so all you will have to do is break in, find the device, bring it back to me, I'll remove my ledger and let you have the Alliance files." A bit of the old gleam returned to his eye. "Maybe let that pixie of yours take a crack at it—you know, the smart one."

Mal and Zoe shared a look; they both knew he was referring to River.

Mal smirked. "She really did a number on you all that time ago, didn't she?"

Badger sniffed. "Do you want the job, or not?"

Breaking into the fortress of a man they knew nothing about, to steal a device River might be able to decode, which could contain files of immense importance, as evidenced by the security measures taken... Or it could be the unrealized fantasies of a paranoid, delusional megalomaniac. More than likely it was the latter; the Alliance had plenty of those working for them.

Mal glanced at Zoe; a little of the old color was back, at the prospect of finally being able to do something effective. That was enough of an answer for Captain Reynolds.

"We'll take it," he said, extending his hand to Badger. Still shaking hands, he added, "And you will still owe us a favor."

Badger stopped and he tried to jerk his hand away, but Malcolm wouldn't let go. "That isn't—I don't—"

"Come on, Badger," Malcolm shook his head. "Just how badly do you want this ledger back? Because I think all of us would agree that we aren't looking for trouble in the Core if we can help it."

Zoe and Jayne nodded.

Badger rolled his eyes. "Very well," he growled.

"Say it," Malcolm demanded.

"Do this for me," Badger growled through clenched teeth, "and you can have the Alliance files—"

"And?"

"And I'll owe you a favor."

Captain Mal gave one last shake and released Badger, who massaged his hand and glared at him. "Pleasure to be back in business with you again, Badger." He took one last swig of his mug and set it down with a contented sigh. "So where do we find this Abaddon and his secret lair?"

Badger snorted. "It's no secret."

He led them out of the tavern and further down the street. From this corner, Mal could see one feature of Persephone's skyline he didn't recognize: a tall building, gleaming black among the desert-brown clay structures.

"That's where Abaddon lives, works, and throws parties for anyone who has something he wants," he said.

Mal's mind caught the unspoken idea. "And is he planning on hosting a party anytime soon?" He asked.

Badger grinned for the first time in the conversation. "There'll be one on tonight."

Mal nodded to Zoe. "Contact River and tell her to rendezvous with us at the docks. Looks like we have a party to crash!"

* * *

That evening, the crew of the Serenity turned out to blend in with the crowd streaming for the big black building. More people than they had seen in the markets all day suddenly emerged at the promise of food and entertainment, all for the price of bondage to a very clever, very powerful man.

Malcolm let River and Zoe serve as the diversion to give their group the illusion of participating, while he watched for their host, and Jayne watched their backs.

Finally, Jayne grabbed Mal's arm. "I'm guessing that's him."

Mal followed his nod to behold a man who seemed to be making his way down the enormous staircase, right into the thick of the festivities. Electric spotlights honed in on him as he gave a benevolent wave to his guests. He stopped halfway, turning back to the top and extending his hand. A stunning figure in a shimmering gown descended, standing amorously at his side like a paid escort. In fact, as the couple descended, Malcolm knew for certain that this woman was a paid escort for Abaddon. She happened to glance his way; their eyes met.

Under the excited hubbub of the crowd, Malcolm Reynolds cried out in a voice only his crew would hear.

 _"INARA?"_

* * *

 _ ***A/N: Hope you enjoyed the SPN references. :D -KM**_


	3. At Your Service

**Six Weeks Prior...**

Inara slumped in her seat as she heard the engines wind down. They had made it off the moon, so why wasn't Mal gunning on the course to Sihnon like he said he would? She heard Mal shouting from the bridge, and a few minutes later, his voice echoed over the ship's comm system.

"Change of plans, everyone! It appears we weren't as patched up as we thought, so it seems we'll have to make an emergency stop on Haven for reassessment and repairs."

Inara sighed and closed her eyes, retreating into her mind, since her services would not be required for some time.

The conversation from only minutes ago replayed in her mind.

 _"Ready to get off this heap... Back to civilization?"_

Just the sound of his voice when he said it... If anyone else in the Verse—on any other ship ever to exist—had asked her, she would have responded in the affirmative with no reservations.

So why did she choke here and now?

 _"I don't know."_ Since when has she deigned to give anybody on the Serenity a non-answer? They knew how she felt; they respected what she thought.

So what did she think? Inara sat up, positioned herself in front of her mirror, gazed deep into her own reflection, and chanted, "Serenity, Serenity..."

What feelings did it evoke? Safety or danger? Love or distaste? Comfort or annoyance?

 _"Serenity... Serenity..."_

Inara had been so lost in soul-searching that she had not realized she was still chanting. She fell silent and looked at herself.

 _Herself;_ not sorrow, not joy, not home, not pain—she felt _herself_ when she thought of Serenity.

So what did that mean for her future?

Outside the windows of her shuttle, Haven's rugged landscape came into view. The rubble and bodies still lay scattered about, in spite of the few survivors trying to clean up the mess that was The Operative's calling card. Inara remained inside, even as she heard the main bay doors open so that Mal, Jayne and Kaylee could inspect the hull. Purely because of boredom, she opened the terrestrial communications channel and accessed the messages designated for her personal account.

Two messages since their departure for Miranda.

 **"Greetings, Inara; I just received word that you had expressed interest in a scientific endeavor centered on Miranda. I am sending you the contact information for a senator who might be able to share some information on the subject. I have also taken the liberty of providing him with your contact information, in case he would prefer to initiate contact. I hope this was not amiss. Best of luck, and I hope you find what you need."**

The second message was screened through a very secure network; undoubtedly the senator.

 **"Greetings, Inara Serra; I understand you made inquiries on the subject of the Miranda Project, specifically the personnel involved. Since it was not a widely-published study, I would be very interested to know what prompted the inquiry. I can only imagine it is because one of your most recent circle of acquaintances, if those rumors are to be believed, was someone intimately involved with the project. Hence I have applied for your services, beginning with dinner two days from now. That should give enough time for you to arrange passage to the Core. Meet me on Bellerophon. Ask for Abaddon. I look forward to our conversation."**

The channel blinked to indicate an incoming message. Inara allowed the connection, and read the official escort application, with the only reference to her prospective client being the name he already gave, Abaddon. Any reference to his legal name—required on such applications—had been preemptively redacted.

The knot at the pit of her stomach that she had only recently untangled promptly reasserted itself. Her finger hovered over the response command. She could just refuse; she had done it before. It was well within her right as a licensed Companion to turn down a solicitation for any reason. The client was not entitled to any specific Companion, and the Companion was not obligated to accept all solicitations if his or her health, vitality, sanity, or any other part of the Companion's person or life was called into question at the time of solicitation.

Besides that, it was Miranda. They had actually gone there; they knew everything there was to know about Miranda...

Didn't they?

 _"One of your recent acquaintances... Was intimately involved..."_

Inara closed the port without responding; another non-answer. She stood and exited the pod, leaving the questions and issues behind in pursuit of some clarity.

Kaylee Frye Tam ambled on board, streaks of grease framing a gleaming grin on her face.

Inara returned the smile. "Did you find the problem and fix it?" She asked.

Kaylee wiped her dirty hands on the pants of her coveralls before slipping them off, revealing her customary shirt and cargo pants underneath. "Sure did," she responded. "Doesn't matter what the captain says; love may keep the ship afloat, but it takes a good mechanic to keep the engines running smooth!" Both women shared a chuckle. Kaylee continued, "One of the bolts on the aft starboard engine hadn't caught like it should have, so we got her nailed down tight!"

"Oh good," said Inara. "I would hate for it to come apart mid-flight."

"Don't you worry," Mal said as he climbed the stairs toward the bridge. "We'll still get you home in plenty of time."

Twist, went her stomach.

"Actually, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind taking me all the way to Bellerophon." Wait! When had she decided that?

The captain's hand came down on the railing, perilously close to hers.

"Now, what sort of business would take us all the way to Bellerophon?"

 _Steady, Inara._ Maybe it was better if she go straight to Sihnon and make some kind of decision there. Maybe, with access to a land-based information portal, she could find out more about her prospective client before she decided whether or not to meet him. Two days from the time of his message meant she had one more day to either accept or refuse.

Meanwhile, her mouth decided to speak again before her mind was quite ready.

"I just received a solicitation from a client who might know more about Miranda."

Mal's face hardened; it really was too soon. "What more is there to know?" His voice dropped almost to a growl.

Inara listened to the question she had been asking herself just moments ago—but she still could not conjure a reasonable answer.

"Maybe," she faltered. "Maybe he might be able to say why it had to happen, or point us to the people in charge of it." Even as she said it, that odd line sprang to the forefront of her memory. "Something else he said," she commented slowly. "Someone in my recent acquaintance was intimately involved with the project."

That got Mal's attention. His eyes narrowed on Inara. "Like how recent? Is he referring to your tenure on my ship? Like one of—"

He broke off as Zoe approached.

"All set for takeoff, captain," she said without looking at either of them. "Shall I tell River to resume the course for Sihnon?"

Mal waved his hand. "Hold that thought." He turned back to Inara. "So do you think this lead on Bellerophon is worth checking? Or are you just looking to get back into the old swing of things?" He waggled his eyebrows naughtily.

Inara smirked. "Don't be crude," she chided softly. "And would it be so wrong of me to want a little of both? Maybe," her glance fell on the departing Zoe, the way the first mate's shoulders sagged as they never had before. "Maybe it could give us some closure," she said.

Malcolm shrugged. "All right, suit yourself." He ambled back toward the cockpit—but what had ghosted over his face just then? Inara's conscience chided her for this latest in a series of non-answers—Mal's face certainly didn't aid her decision making! Was he really so disappointed? But what if it turned out that the information this Abaddon could provide actually gave them some kind of leverage over the Alliance? Would he be so regretful then?

"Setting course for Bellerophon!" Mal's voice came over the intercom.

Inara heard Jayne'a boots clump on the metal floor, heard his voice mutter, "What gorram business do we have on Bellerophon?"

She sighed and decided to wait out the ride in her shuttle.

Just over an hour later, Inara watched as the ship sank through the curved atmosphere of Bellerophon. The knot in her stomach tightened. Who was this Abaddon? Why did he want to meet her?

The Serenity hovered without docking. The door of her shuttle opened, and she knew Mal had come to say his goodbyes.

He stared at the outfit she had chosen with unconcealed approval.

"Nice dress," he blurted.

Inara only bowed her head. "Thank you." She did not trust herself to say more.

Mal still hesitated.

"Last chance to change your mind," he reminded her.

"I know." She sat at the controls of her shuttle to indicate her choice.

"Well, good luck out there," he fumbled. "Be safe."

That face again—why was he making that face? Inara forced herself to smile. "I will," she promised.

It wasn't till Mal backed away from the hatch that Inara realized he had not crossed the threshold into her shuttle. She pushed all of that out of her mind and flew to the public port of Bellerophon.

"Name?" The customs official asked as he glanced over her licenses and papers.

"Inara Serra," she replied evenly.

He signed the requisite blank. "And what is your business on Bellerophon?"

The same questions, no matter what planet she went to; maybe she liked flying with the Serenity because they rarely went through customs, and thus she didn't have to field the same questions over and over.

"I am a licensed Companion under the laws and regulations of the Union of Allied Planets," she stated. "I am here to meet with a client."

Suddenly, the official in the next booth choked, stopped gawking at her, and returned to focusing intently on the travelers in front of him, who gave Inara thin gazes of acute disdain.

The official handed her papers and stamped visa back to her. "Enjoy your visit," he said out of habit.

Inara nodded graciously. "Thank you."

She exited the tall silver building. The streets were full of richly-robed business owners and billionaires who could afford life on Bellerophon. Inara calmly walked to the information cafe just across from the customs office. If Abaddon wasn't waiting for her, she might as well do some searching. She entered the name ABADDON on the screen. The blinking circle indicated a search in progress.

"Madame Serra."

A hand gripped her forearm. Years of practice enabled Inara to compose herself quickly. She did not flinch or shy from the rough touch. She took her eyes off the screen and looked up into the man's face. He had fair skin, fair hair severely sculpted on his head, and the deepest, darkest eyes she had ever seen on a human. She would need to be careful of those eyes.

"Abaddon," she guessed, throwing in a small smile to combat his severity.

It worked. The thin lips twitched. "Good. Now that we've been introduced, let's go to dinner."

He didn't let go of her arm, but led her down the lane to a very tall tower, with a wide dining space below, a tall support system, and a spacious dining area up among the clouds of Bellerophon.

Inara had to admire the way Abaddon had orchestrated the whole matter to intimidate a weaker woman. The host at the front of the restaurant nodded to him as he entered without a word. He stood, still gripping her arm tight as the waiters took her cape and his coat. He wore a crisp, spotless steel-grey uniform underneath, and they immediately took a small, private lift up to the sky dining area.

Once there, he led her to a table far enough away from all the others that no one would overhear their conversation, yet it was right near a window, to give them the best view of the rest of the planet below. A waiter met them and immediately poured their wine, while another brought in the first course. Abaddon made no move for his food, watching carefully as Inara lifted her fork and took the first bite.

The lips twitched again, as the eyes attempted to swallow her. "Do you like it?" He asked.

Inara could still feel his cold fingers clamped like a cuff around her arm. "It's very good," she answered. "Not a flavor I've encountered very often."

"I don't think you have or will ever taste its like," he responded, finally sampling his own. "I developed this combination myself, and it uses herbs native to only one planet in the whole Verse—so naturally, I claimed ownership of the entire crop."

Was there really that much ego in this man?

"Naturally," Inara repeated.

He gestured to the window. "I'm sorry I couldn't give you a better view. On a clear day, you can see all the way to the horizon in every direction."

His words were not unkind, but the more she tried to relax and warm the tension between them, the more she felt like a candle trying to melt a glacier: he was so cold, she was burning slowly away. Was this how he liked his relationships? She suppressed a tiny shiver.

The eyes seemed to follow her thoughts.

"Do you doubt that I have anything of value to give you?" He asked.

Inara remained on her guard; her training and experience as a Companion to rich and powerful people had taught her to never rush in to an apparent avenue of exploitation. She would not fall for his leading.

"I believe you do not know me well enough, sir," she stated.

The twitch again. "You are a Companion, hired for pleasure and attention; do you ever really know your clients?"

Ah, there was an opening safe enough. "Most of my clients would at least trust my confidentiality enough to use their real names during a session."

The eyes seemed to retract a bit. "Have I behaved in such a way to give you the impression that Abaddon is not my real name?" He observed.

Inara did not waver an inch in her reservations, but she did not show it.

The waiter brought their entrees: yet another exotic dish Inara was sure he had selected to impress her. She ate as if this was normal behavior for a client.

The dark eyes fixed on her again. She noted how he kept both hands clearly visible on the table at all times; this was a man used to double-dealing and manipulation. A man with nothing to hide would not be so conscientious.

"You humor me," he probed at her again, "but you avoid the whole reason I received your name, and doubtless the reason that convinced you to accept my request in the first place."

There it was. Inara still maintained the conviction that this was entirely the work of a man who wanted to use and exploit her skills as a Companion. She was completely on her own in this matter.

"I accepted you as a client; I am merely fulfilling the terms of my contract."

"Oh come, you are too coy!" He leaned forward over his plate, wiping his mouth carefully with the napkin. "Why would a woman who is gainfully employed and successful in her job as a Companion take an interest in an Outer planet such as Miranda?"

There it was, the opening she had been waiting for. Inara seized it, careful to maintain a distance between herself and her friends. "A passing conversation while I escorted a client in the Core."

"Whose conversation, if I may ask?" The voice spoke detached and calm, but the eyes attempted to overwhelm her again.

Inara kept up the lie. "I do not know his name, but it was during a soirée on Cassiopeia, so I believe it must have been someone in attendance there." If he was as well-connected as he seemed, she had no doubt he would either search through that party till he found a name with the right connections, or he would know enough already to call her bluff right here.

The corners of his lips stretch stretched and widened. "Very good; you are better than I thought you would be."

He signaled for the waiters to approach. One bore a small ashtray and a silver humidor. Abaddon glanced at Inara. "You don't mind?"

She maintained her professional demeanor. "Not at all," she replied.

He took the cigar and lit it, pushing the tray to the center of the table.

"It came to my attention, shortly before our mutual acquaintance informed me of your inquiry, that you were seen in the company of a certain man." He lowered his hand toward the tray.

Inara saw the subtle flick of his wrist meant to draw her eye, and when she glanced down, she saw a tiny image displayed in the bowl of the ashtray.

"Do you know him?" Abaddon asked, his eyes deeper than ever.

Inara withdrew inside herself, forcing a slow, measured breath to keep from losing her composure and exposing the crew. Shepherd Book! Why was it so vital for Abaddon to establish a connection with him, of all people?

"His name was Henry Evans, and he was instrumental in maintaining the security of the Miranda Project."

The revelation tore at her—not the name, she had known it for a while; his involvement though—how could they not have known?

She thought of denying any connection to him, but Abaddon had clearly already proven his knowledge that at least they had spoken at one point.

"I didn't know his name," she answered. "I assumed he was a Shepherd of some sort."

"A Shepherd, how interesting," Abaddon mused. "Of course, I did not expect you to know his real name; he abandoned his position shortly after the project shut down, and probably took the role of a Shepherd to hide behind. Of course, he is dead now. So... Was he the one to mention Miranda in your hearing?"

Inara noted that Abaddon seemed exclusively concerned with Book—which possibly meant that he did not know or did not care about the others in the crew.

"No, it wasn't him," she could tell the truth this time, briefly, before continuing with the lie. "The only conversation we ever had, he accosted me while I was escorting a client, and I think he tried to convert me."

The eyes widened, retracting into their sockets and out of her innermost soul. "Ah? Perhaps he embraced the Shepherd life more fully than I gave him credit for." He stubbed his cigar on the image, watching the material curl and singe until it was nothing but a pile of ash under the stub. Abaddon leaned back. "I only ask because Evans and I, we are not much different. Both of us are deeply involved with the upper-elite circles of the Allied Planets—and we both had our own ways of dealing with it." He stood and extended a hand to her, signaling that the meal was over. They exited the restaurant, but he took her further into the city, toward the private residency docks.

"Did you consider becoming a Shepherd as well?" Inara asked innocently, deliberately misunderstanding his meaning.

Abaddon shook his head. "Nothing so noble as that. You see, I reached the top of the inner circles of the Alliance, and I began to see that there was just as much corruption and deprivation among the richest of them, as there purported to be at the bottom. Ergo, having scaled up as far as I could go in society, I decided that the only progress I could make was to plumb the depths of the galaxy's underbelly."

They stood at the base of a ramp leading to a luxurious space shuttle. Abaddon indicated that they would be boarding.

Inara hesitated. "Where are we going?" She asked, keeping her voice low and steady.

Abaddon reached around and placed his hand firmly at the small of her back. "You're mine until I no longer need your services, Madame Serra," he reminded her in a voice dangerously close to a growl. "You will go and do wherever and whatever I want you to." His dark eyes stormed at her. "You have no other clients to service anytime soon, do you?"

It was true, and she knew that he probably made sure this was the case. "I am at your service," she acknowledged flatly, taking the seat next to him as the pilot prepared for liftoff.

"To satisfy your curiosity," Abaddon continued, "we are headed to Persephone; I assume you know it." His eyes slid to her, and the way he said it made her wonder if he had seen through her lies; she had met Book and Mal and all the rest when they all happened to convene at the same ship on Persephone. But then again, given the recent turn of the conversation, she might be able to keep her distance.

"Of course," she replied. "There is a kingpin who operates the largest black market smuggling ring from there." Companions, licensed and unlicensed, would know about smuggling without knowing specific smugglers and their ships.

"A smuggling ring I just cracked, thanks to the authority afforded by my Allied connections," Abaddon bragged. "That smuggling ring belongs to me now, and I have the power to expand operations to every planet in the galaxy, thanks to the number of customs officials on my payroll." He smiled. "That kingpin you speak of? I just confiscated his ledger in the name of the Alliance. His clients and his employees are now mine, and I intend to make full use of every last one of them once we get to Persephone." He unbuckled his safety belt and stood before her. "But first," he said, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing it, "we have a few hours to ourselves until we land and I have a party to throw. Let us see how serviceable you Companions really are."

She removed her belt and stood to join him.

A few hours later, Abaddon lay stretched out next to Inara, as her writhing conscience robbed her of sleep. All Badger's employees—Mal! This man would find out about Mal and Simon and River; he was definitely more dangerous than even Niska. She needed to figure out where on Persephone Abaddon was keeping the ledger, and how to get it away from this man before he could access the information. All it would take was keeping him distracted so that he never opened it before she could steal it and make her escape. Inara allowed the idea to boost her confidence as she lay down with her body carefully aligned with his. She was very good at distractions.


	4. Zoe's Secret

_**On the Serenity, one week after Inara's departure...**_

Zoe gripped the safety straps next to her seat and tried to fight down the rising bile in her throat. River and Mal were doing the best they could navigating the asteroid field orbiting across their path without getting hit, but that didn't mean it was all smooth sailing. She could still feel the twisting and rocking of the ship when Kaylee Tam walked by, as steady as you please.

She caught Zoe's dizzy grimace and her face twisted into a look of concern.

"Are you okay?"

If she opened her mouth to answer, Zoe knew vomit was inevitable.

"Think I'm sick," she muttered, and staggered her way to the nearest lavatory.

Once the vomiting subsided, Zoe allowed the captain to order her confined to her bunk. She trudged through the door...

His smell wafted off of every surface. How had she not noticed it? Zoe felt the emotions she had steadily mastered for so long suddenly spin out of her grasp. All she could see was his face; all she could hear was his voice; all she could feel were his arms around her.

 _Hoban;_ her Hoban. Her rock, her heart, her love. Hoban who wasn't particularly wise, or brave, or strong—but he was hers, and she was his.

 _Was._

She emerged from her outburst in a different place: the empty docking bay where Inara's shuttle usually attached. They had supplied her with a cot, a few belongings, and some provisions. Their message was clear: _Take all the time you need._

So she did. Zoe Washburne mourned her husband as she had been longing to do ever since they left Miranda. Among the belongings were some photos:

Hoban in the cockpit with that ridiculous mustache that reminded her of a living, crawling caterpillar clinging to his lip...

The piecemeal wedding day when the two of them realized (in the midst of transporting illicit goods for a laundering service that dealt in more than just fine clothing) just how empty their lives would be without each other, and just how well they suited each other...

Hoban entertaining a group of village children on one of the desert planets; that time he surprised her with a new gun and a real wedding band...

The band she now wore on a chain around her neck, because she hadn't been able to bear seeing it on her finger. She dug it out now, still sobbing furiously all over again. Her hands, normally so steady they could hit a pinhead at one hundred yards, shook so bad she could hardly unclasp the chain. She slipped the ring off and placed it back into her finger, weeping as she seemed to feel his arms gather her close again. She curled into a ball and wept until she had no tears left. After that, it was a steady process of rebuilding all the shattered pieces of herself until she was ready to once again venture back out to her position as first mate.

Zoe activated the door, and nearly stumbled over a body just outside.

River scurried out of the way with a small squeak.

Zoe eyed the sleep sack and the bleary look in her eyes, never doubting for a moment that she probably looked the same in a mirror.

"How long was I in there?" She asked.

River stared at her face. "Sixteen days," she answered. "I kept watch."

More than two weeks. "What did I miss?"

"There was a shipment of drugs we delivered, two days late so Captain Reynolds had to fight a man. We almost got caught by soldiers again, but they stopped chasing us after Jayne led them into a trap."

While River rambled on, Zoe glanced down the terminals. The engine lay still.

"Where is everyone?"

"The others are out picking up a shipment for another job. It's just me and my brother and my sister," finally the small face broke into a wide grin, "and you."

Zoe sighed, but there was no more grief in her. Only a latent sick feeling.

"Well good; I need the doc to make sure I'm all fit again," she stated.

River fidgeted, still standing outside the door to the docking bay. "I'll clean up," she said, and vanished into the bay.

Zoe didn't mind; all that crying had left the muscles of her torso as sore as if she'd been someone's punching bag. There was some mild dizziness still nagging the back of her mind, but that was probably due to staying in one room for so long.

She made it to the door of the makeshift medical bay. Simon stood at the table against the back wall, cataloging vials and syringes.

Zoe took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

"Hey, doc."

Simon jumped back and whirled around, relief flooding his face when he saw Zoe. "Oh! Hey, it's just you." He set down the vial he was clutching and gave her his full professional attention.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

Zoe gave another sigh, feeling her lungs loosen and relax as she did. "Better," she told him. "Thanks, I needed that."

Simon nodded. "We understand."

Zoe smirked. "Sounds like you all have had a terrible time while I've been out."

Simon shrugged. "You could say that; but it's nothing we couldn't help each other through."

The small struggle in her core wouldn't go away. "Doc, I just wanted your professional assessment to make sure I'm ready to be part of the crew again; I don't want to break down if the captain needs me. I was feeling really sick there for a while, so I just want to make sure it's nothing serious."

Dr. Tam nodded. "Understood; here, let me just take a blood sample to check for antibodies, or other abnormalities." He cleaned her fingertip, pricked it, and squeezed out a few drops of blood. Sliding them into a scanner, he assured her. "This will only take a moment."

Zoe waited patiently till the high-pitched beep signaled that the machine had finished. Simon studied the readout carefully.

"Hm, that's interesting..." He mused, adjusting the settings. He glanced at Zoe.

"So you said you were feeling ill a couple weeks ago... Any other symptoms?"

Zoe shrugged, "Aside from the vomiting? Well, I can remember feeling real tired, sometimes a little dizzy—but grief'll do that to you, won't it?"

Simon persisted in staring at her with a strange expression on his face. "Well, with all that you've been through, I would be inclined to think it was your typical influenza virus, like the captain was saying..." His voice trailed off.

Zoe's mind immediately leaped to a thousand different outcomes as she prompted, "But?"

"But the elevated presence of hormones in your blood, coupled with a few other abnormalities..."

Zoe rolled her eyes. "Plain English, Doc! Am I going to die or not?"

"Zoe," Simon finally allowed a smile to unfold on his face. "All these things seem to indicate that you're pregnant."

Zoe's racing thoughts came to a screeching halt. "WHAT?" She barked.

Simon frowned. "I thought you would be happy—"

"Well I'm not!" Zoe snapped. "How can I be pregnant? My husband is dead!"

Simon pointed to his machine. "According to the blood test, you're about four weeks from conception."

 _"Four weeks!"_ Four weeks ago, Hoban was still alive; four weeks ago, they could have been a family...

Zoe stood and began pacing. "A baby? I can't have a baby on this ship! Where will it sleep? What will it eat? What if I have to go out on a job?" She stopped and looked back at Simon. "The Captain can't know about this. No one can; not your sister, not your—your wife," her voice caught as the emotions bubbled to the surface again.

Simon tried to pat her gently on the shoulder. "Zoe, it's all right; you don't have to be scared—"

"No, I do!" She cried, jerking away. "I do! I am scared! Do you realize what Mal might do to me if he found out I was pregnant? This ship's got no room for extra bodies. It's not safe for a baby! He'll send me away!"

Simon still maintained a calm demeanor, for her sake. "We can help, we'll all help. You will be fine."

"No!" Abruptly, the anxiety died. Zoe forced herself to forget about the idea of holding a baby. She was the first mate; she had a job to do. "I can't have a baby now. Is there a way to end it before it gets too far?"

Simon blanched. "Wh-you mean kill the child?"

"Don't try to make it out like murder," Zoe growled. "You gorram Doctor types would tell us women all the time that this bundle of developing cells isn't really viable till it's born."

Simon gulped, and Zoe knew he couldn't refute that.

"I want to just be able to move on like it never happened," she declared. "Mal needs me; this job, flying through uncharted space, always on the run, getting into fights—that is my life. Serenity is my home. If I have this baby, all of that would go away."

"Zoe you don't know—"

"And you don't know the captain like I do. Do you have something that will end the pregnancy or not?"

Simon shook his head. "Without killing you? I'll have to check; I was never really prepared for this kind of situation."

"Neither was I," murmured Zoe.

Silence settled over the room as the agitation calmed somewhat.

Simon cleared his throat. "Ahem, Zoe," he began slowly. "Just think about this for a moment: this child, it's not a burden, it's a gift; think of that. A last gift from your husband—"

His words cut off as a strong hand gripped the back of his collar, twisted, and flung him against the nearby cabinets. Zoe had her arm pressed against his throat and her face burned with rage.

" _Don't you dare_ ," she choked, " _bring Hoban into this!_ Don't you dare! He's dead! I'm alone! This ain't gonna change that! If you ever mention my husband like that again, I swear I will kill you and cut this thing right outta me with my own hands!" She pressed harder. "Understood?"

Simon nodded against her elbow.

She released him, and he massaged his neck.

"How long before I start showing?" She asked.

Simon struggled to regain his composure and his breath after the attack. "Some women don't start showing till after about the fourth month." He waited till she turned and met his gaze. "Please," he begged. "You've still got time; just think about it. Maybe you might talk to the captain sometime. I'm sure you can get him to understand."

Zoe sighed. She could feel the sobs welling in her chest. Was that what the next nine months were going to be like? "I'll think about it," she conceded, and watched as Simon visibly relaxed. "But—" she lifted a finger and he tensed.

"Not a word," she reminded him.

"Not a soul," he promised.

Zoe barely made it into the hallway before bursting into deep, heavy sobs. "Hoban," she whispered. "Hoban! I can't do this! I can't be strong all by myself! Why did you do this to me? What am I gonna do?"

A footfall behind her caused her to jerk and whirl around. River stood in the hallway, staring intently at her. Zoe made straight for her bunk and did not come out till she heard Captain Mal and the others return.

"-Isn't what I wanted to do!"

"Gee, I'm sorry, _Captain_! But if I have to run into the crosshairs of six men—"

"You had six? I had TEN!"

Mal and Jayne stopped their bickering when Zoe emerged in the hallway, arms folded.

A smile broke across Mal's features. "Well! Look who's back on her feet! Feeling okay?"

Her stomach—maybe even her womb—lurched, and Zoe fought to keep her composure. She plastered on her biggest smile and assured him, "Doing better, thanks. I'm ready for some action—if that's all right with you, captain."

Mal shrugged. "Okay by me; what do you say, Doc?" He still watched Zoe, but she heard Simon step out of the infirmary. "Can I have my first mate back?"

Simon only hesitated a moment, but it felt like far too long for Zoe before he finally allowed. "Sure, medically she is up for it."

Mal indulged in a fist-pump. "All right! Come on up to the cockpit and I'll fill you in on everything."

Zoe followed him, the secret weighing heavily on her conscience. Soon, she would make her decision, and she wouldn't have to think about it anymore.

* * *

By the next day, Zoe was back in the thick of "normal life," running risky business, intimidating thugs, escorting payloads to and from the ship. She found it easier to ignore the developing pregnancy and hide it from the others, visiting Simon regularly because of "headaches" or "trouble sleeping," and her clothes still fit—though the longer this went on, the more unsettled she felt about whether or not to tell Mal before she ended it—before it got too late.

Simon kept his word and pretended along with her that life was just as ordinary as ever—but Zoe still cherished the relief she felt when Kaylee asked to visit her family's farm on Charis. With another group of new friends every bit as boisterous as the young mechanic, it was easy for her to melt into the background and forget all the things she had to hide.

Two weeks on Charis, and Simon and Kaylee approached Mal with the announcement that they would be leaving the crew and settling down to perhaps start their own family. Simon assured them that should they ever need a doctor, he would only be a call away, and Kaylee had already begun the process of showing Jayne how to keep the engine running. River was given the choice, and she opted to stay on the Serenity.

"Nobody hears her like I do," she explained.

As the crew said their farewells, Simon grasped Zoe's hand, and she felt the cool, smooth surface of a vial tucked into her palm.

Simon watched her carefully. "When the time comes, if you need it," he whispered. "This will help."

Zoe kept her face blank as she tucked the vial into the cuff of her sleeve with her fingertips.

Mal regarded her carefully as she returned.

"What was that about?"

Zoe felt the vial as if the glass burned through her skin. "Nothing you need to worry about, Captain," she assured him.

He shrugged his acceptance. "All right, let's get a move on, folks!"

* * *

 _ **Three weeks later, the night after Abaddon's party...**_

Zoe checked and rechecked the security jammers; there were so few of them now, she had to make sure everything worked smoothly. According to Inara, the memory stick was secreted in a small box inside a room with only one breach point, and everything was heavily guarded.

Badger had told them the truth; this Abaddon was bad news, and if he found out about the Serenity, there would be nothing they could do to resist any longer.

Zoe flinched and put up her guard as someone approached her from behind—

But it was only Mal.

"Hey, whoa, steady on there," he cried. "You don't have to be so on edge. From what I can tell, Abaddon's real power is intimidation and manipulation—all psychological. He's really not that dangerous."

Zoe huffed. "We're short-handed, captain; gotta make sure nothing goes wrong, because we might not get a second chance."

She went on with her systems check, counting out ammunition and verifying the identifications, but Mal didn't leave.

"Zoe," he said softly. "If you want to sit this one out, you can. Inara's got everything set up so that Jayne, River and I can handle it."

Zoe chose her rifle and cocked it. "What makes you think I wouldn't rather be there with you?" She demanded.

The others came in and suited up. They had docked the Serenity at the edge of the trash heap behind Abaddon's fortress, where it wouldn't be noticed. Just down the alley and across the street was the side entrance, their breach point.

Zoe and Mal crouched against the wall as Jayne charged in to take out the first set of guards. A flurry of gunshots, and his gloved hand gave them the all clear.

"I was just thinking you might not want to this time around," Mal whispered behind her. "What with you being pregnant and all."

Zoe lunged forward to take out the guard posted at the corner, sinking her knife into his neck and letting him slide silently down to the floor.

"Who told," she growled. "The Doc?"

Mal grimaced as the guard in his choke-hold squirmed and flopped before falling still.

"Nope," he said. "Actually, River figured it out on her own."

They advanced through the darkened halls toward Abaddon's vault as he continued. "It was something funny she said once you'd come back out. We were flying to Charis, and she looks at me and says—LOOK OUT!"

Zoe whirled and fired as Mal shoved her out of the trajectory of a laser-sighted turret. Jayne ran over while it searched for the others and knocked it right off its mount. Mal kept right on with the story.

"Anyway, River turns to me and says 'Zoe's got two hearts.' I told her no human has two hearts, but she swore you did. She said 'One of them is broken,'" He paused and pulled Zoe to him as they crouched behind a short wall at the middle of the room. "'And the other has just started beating,'" he finished.

Zoe's hand slipped to the space where she could just barely feel her womb.

"It's heart's beating?" She whispered.

Mal shrugged and reloaded his gun. "River said she could hear it. What I want to know is," he twisted to look straight at her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Zoe crouched at the ready. They would make the last charge on Jayne's signal.

"If I had," she grunted. "Would we be doing this right now?"

Mal shrugged as the signal came in the form of a smoke grenade rolling against the wall to cover them.

"Guess not," he said, and both of them sprang up and charged into the fog with a yell.

"YYYAAAAAHHHHH!"

* * *

 _ **Eight Months Later...**_

"GAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Zoe screamed and lurched forward as another contraction tore through her body.

"That's it," Inara coached from the foot of her bed. "Keep breathing!"

River stood stoically at her side, not even flinching as Zoe squeezed her hand so tightly, her fingertips were nearly purple. She stared at Zoe's raised knees, where Inara crouched, massaging Zoe's legs.

"I see the head!" the Companion cried giddily.

"YAAAAAAAHHH!" Zoe screamed again as a contraction unfolded. River clenched her eyes shut.

"Push!"

"I CAN'T!"

"PUSH!"

"GAAAHH!"

Suddenly, the blinding pain melted in a rush of white light and sound—and the next thing Zoe heard was the most musical wail as Inara tucked a wet, red bundle against her chest.

Zoe craned her neck to look down, releasing River's hand to cradle the squalling new life. Tears poured down her cheeks, splashing onto the baby's soggy head. Inara smiled at her.

"Congratulations," she smoothed Zoe's sweaty hair gently. "It's a fine, healthy boy."

River finally opened her eyes. She took one look at Zoe and the newborn, and her eyes nearly popped out of her head as her face twisted into a grimace.

"Ew, gross!" She ran out of the room.

Inara chuckled softly and moved to take care of the afterbirth.

"What will you name him?" She asked kindly.

Zoe stroked the wet, dark head as she thought of how much she wanted his father there with them. "I admit, I didn't really think of any boy names," she murmured. "Hoban for his daddy of course."

"Of course," Inara agreed. "But what about a second name?"

Zoe leaned back as the baby suckled, warm against her body. "During the labor just now, I thought about Hoban," she said softly. "You remember his last words? The broadcast just before the crash."

"I wasn't listening too closely," Inara admitted. "It sounded like poetry."

"'I am a leaf on the wind,'" Zoe quoted. "'Watch how I soar.' It was the battle cry of some ancient army. He quoted it for me, to remember him by."

A soft knock interrupted them. Inara covered Zoe with a blanket and went to answer it.

"How'd she do?" Zoe heard Mal ask.

Inara asked with a glance, and Zoe nodded.

Inara stepped back to let the men into the room.

"See for yourself," she replied. "It's a boy." She offered Zoe an extra blanket to swaddle the baby.

At the first blink of the tiny, dark eyes, everyone melted.

"Awww! He's such a cutie!" Mal gushed.

Jayne hung back, fascinated, but worried he might break the infant. "Kinda small, ain't he?"

"That's how we all start out, Jayne," Inara chided him, taking the baby from Mal.

"So what'll you call him?" Mal asked. "Hoban Jr.?"

Zoe chuckled. "Hoban is his middle name. We'll call him Lief."

"Lief Hoban Washburne," the captain mused. "I like it!"

Zoe relaxed when Lief finally returned to her embrace.

"So, any luck with those files we took from Abaddon?" She asked.

Mal shot her a calculating glance. "You just had a baby; you should be resting."

"I can rest and think, too," Zoe retorted. "Tell me what I've missed!"

"Well, there isn't much to tell." Mal settled into a nearby chair to discuss. "River cracked the thing in a few days, but what we have doesn't make much more sense than it did before."

"Is it more about Miranda?" Inara asked.

"They do mention Pax," he said. "But there was a whole host of medical information we can't make heads or tails of—not to mention a bunch of jargon about the climates and weather patterns of about half a dozen core planets."

"Why would they need to know about the weather?" Zoe mused.

"I haven't a gorram clue," Mal grunted. "But there is definitely something big going on, something huge—and it's up to us to figure out what it is and do what we do best."

Jayne perked up and guessed, "Shooting up Alliance strongholds and stealing from rich folk?"

Mal grunted, "No! Using our skills to see that justice is done!"

The burly hitman leaned forward with a scowl. "Ain't no justice while Alliance gets away with crap like Miranda!"

Mal nodded. "Exactly! Sometimes we gotta break the rules to get the ones in charge to abide by em."

Inara caught the subtle droop of Zoe's head and waved her hands in a shooing motion.

"All right, that's enough. Let the mother sleep."

The mother... Zoe peeked down at the huffing little face nestled against her shoulder.

"Don't you worry little Lief," she murmured. "I'm gonna raise you right, and someday you're gonna be a man to make your daddy proud."


	5. Civilized Folk

_**Four years later...**_

Jayne sat in what he called his little slice of heaven. He had the entire hold to himself, so he had opened the cache of his favorite guns, pulled out the oil and the rags, and systematically selected, stripped, and polished each piece till he could see his face in their glossy black surfaces. He sighed with rapture as hammers and pins slid smoothly into place. He stared down the sights and admired the razor-sharp accuracy of the crosshairs. He—

Jayne froze as a coldness unfolded down his spine. The snub-nosed handgun with the redwood-inlaid grip wasn't where he had left it. His mind automatically catalogued the locations of everyone on the ship, lest anyone wasn't where they were supposed to be. Was there a traitor among them?

He still had not moved when a heavy blow landed across his back. Jayne landed on his hands and knees as long limbs wrapped around his neck and began squeezing—and bouncing against his head.

"Uncle Jayne give horsey ride!"

 _Thud, thud._

"Horsey ride! Horsey ride!"

Jayne lifted a hand and pulled the legs down straight so they stopped cutting of his air supply.

"Ready, kid?" He asked his erstwhile attacker.

A giggle, and small hands buried themselves in his curls. "Ride'em, yee-haw!"

With a buck and a snarl, Jayne began a haphazard, heavy-footed gallop around the maze of weapons crates. The tyke on his shoulders screamed and flopped, wrapping his hands around Jayne's eyes when the bouncing got too much.

"Hey, kid!" Jayne tried to twist out of the way, but the hands held on. "Yer diggin' my eyeballs out! I can't see—"

His boot landed on something unstable and Jayne ejected his passenger as his feet shot out from under him. Man and boy landed with heavy thuds that brought the others running.

"What in the VERSE is going on?" Zoe emerged on the walkway. "Lief? _Wo di tian a_ —Lief!" She descended the steps and stepped past the moaning gunman to rescue her son from the crate he landed in.

The copper-headed toddler held the stock of a gun almost as big as he was. She immediately yanked it away.

"Lief Hoban Washburne you put that down this instant! You know you aren't supposed to have guns!"

The door to Inara's shuttle burst open and Captain Mal stumbled out, hair tousled, suspenders tangled around his knees, and fighting furiously with the button on his fly. "Wh-what is it? What happened?"

Zoe was already carrying her son to the stairs. "Nothing serious, thank God; Jayne was letting Lief play with guns."

"Hey!" Jayne grumbled. "It was an accident! I tripped!"

"Now, Zoe," Mal chided, "we both know that if there's anybody fit to teach Lief about guns, it would be Jayne; he knows those weapons inside and out; he wouldn't even dream of harming the boy."

Lief, aware that he was the subject of the conversation, took advantage and began squirming so hard, Zoe had to set him down.

She looked hard at the captain. "With all due respect, sir," she replied. "If my son is going to learn about guns, he will do so from nobody but his mother!" She turned to where she had set him. "Lief, baby—"

But the "baby" had already moved on. Zoe's frantic eyes searched till she spotted him—up on the catwalk, climbing the outside of the railings!

"LIEF!" She shrieked. "GET DOWN!"

"I gonna find River!" He announced, slipping between the bars to land securely on the grate.

Zoe groaned and drew a hand across her forehead. "This is what I get for deciding I could raise a child here instead of in a civilized environment on a planet somewhere."

Mal looked hurt. "Hey! We're civilized—"

His words were cut short by a blood-curdling scream from inside the shuttle. Inara came running out, clutching a blanket around the front of her half-dressed body as she screamed. "GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF!"

Mal grabbed her shoulder and stilled her enough to see the tiny, multicolored frog clinging to her hair. He plucked it off tenderly.

"Huh! I wondered where that one went. Where did you find it?"

Inara shrank back toward the door. "That thing was in my wardrobe!"

"How did it get there?" Mal mused. "I mean, the crate was down in the hold; who could have possibly—"

He stopped and glanced sheepishly at Zoe.

She threw up her hands and walked away to find her son and administer the consequences of his behavior.

Mal caught Jayne smirking and dropped the frog down toward him.

"Hey, horsey, put that back where it came from and let's gather in the cockpit."

Jayne caught it and moved to find the correct crate of exotic reptiles and amphibians. "Aye, cap'n."

The four crew members gathered in the small cockpit of the Serenity. River drove the ship as she listened.

Once everyone assembled, Mal placed the topic of conversation in their midst.

Jayne eyed him. "Have you cracked it yet?"

Mal shook his head.

"It" was a bronze, textured globe they had discovered when they followed a set of coordinates included in the scientific information in the Alliance files.

"Every time we look for an answer," Zoe mused, "it just leads to more questions."

"Did you try asking Brainiac over there?" Jayne nodded to River's back.

Mal raised a finger and picked up the globe. "Watch."

He brought the globe over to the console in front of River. She instinctively shrank away from it.

"Do you know what this is?" Mal asked.

"You asked me that before," River replied in a trembling voice.

"But anything you have to say might help us understand," he prompted.

River stared at the globe. "The world is full of tranquility; spreading peace to you and me," she chanted.

"What does that mean? How do we make it work?"

River's hands crept up to cover the sides of her head as her whole body began to tremble. "Safe in the circle, clean air to breathe—the galaxy is not a safe place! Tranquility comes to those outside!"

"Outside what?"

But River was now babbling incoherently. Something about deep breaths, deep blue sea—drowning in tranquility... Mal glanced at Jayne and shrugged as he returned to the group.

"That's what happens every time she sees this thing." His lips twitched. "It's like an engine part we don't understand."

Jayne snorted. "You know who might know all about it, is Strawberry Girl—Kaylee. She could figure out anything."

Zoe nodded. "That's true; and as far as the medical files go, Simon is the one person we can trust who would be able to tell us what it all meant." She looked up at Mal.

The captain smirked. "Well now, that's what I thought. But this is why I called the meeting. See, we contacted the Frye farm on Charis just a bit ago."

Jayne leaned forward. "And?"

The smirk dropped, and the captain got that dead-serious look in his eye. "No answer."

"What, like it just kept ringing? Or—"

"I mean the signal didn't even connect," Mal responded.

"Like they were never there," Zoe added.

Inara shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "You don't think the Alliance killed them," she asked, "do you?"

"There is a distinct possibility that the Alliance does have something to do with their disappearance," Mal informed his crew. "We assumed they would be safe because Alliance presence on Charis is traditionally lax, what with it being a rural planet without a lot of creature comforts, and simple folk with not a lot of troublemakers." His face darkened. "Then all of a sudden, there's a whole garrison deployed on there, and heavy regulations imposed. River and I couldn't get within a hundred klicks of the town—and she told me he was gone."

"Great!" Jayne threw his hands in the air. "So the one time since they left that we actually need a real doc and a real mechanic, they disappear on us?"

Mal nodded. "That seems to be the situation. So if any of you have any contacts you can use to find them, speak up! I have a feeling that whatever is going on with this globe is important, and it could happen sooner than later, so the faster we locate them, the better."

Jayne thought back to his old contacts as a mercenary thug. A grin spread over his face and he began to nod.

"Yeah," he said, "I know a guy. Met him on a job on Harvest; if anybody can find the doc and his bride, he can." A smirk curled the outlaw's mouth. "Besides, I owe him one."

Mal nodded. "All right, I'm listening. What's his name and where can we find him?"

"Goes by Zito; Zito Espo, best Tracker in the business. As for the place he's set up his base of operations..." Jayne met Mal's gaze and his eyes twinkled.

Mal knew the look. "I'm not gonna like it, am I?"

"Whitefall."

Mal scowled and let loose a string of Pinyin expletives.

Inara sat forward. "Mal! If it helps us find Simon and Kaylee—"

Mal whirled on her with an exasperated face. "Why does it have to be Patience?" He fumed.

Jayne snorted; he liked to see the cocksure, even-keeled captain lose his cool over a woman. "If it makes you feel any better," he offered, "Zito don't live in Patience's territory."

This seemed to soothe the captain's mood. "Well, all right. We go to Whitefall, you make contact and get the coordinates for his place, and the two of us will meet with him. I don't want more bodies planet side than there has to be."

Inara and Zoe nodded.

"Understood," Zoe confirmed.

If Mal expected a wiry, mop-headed whiz-kid like Mr. Universe, he didn't show his disappointment or surprise when Zito proved anything but. Swarthy, squint-eyed, and nearly a full head shorter than Jayne. He occupied what looked to be a small concrete shack in the middle of the desert side of Whitefall, a day's journey outside of the furthest settlement.

He recognized Jayne almost immediately.

"Cobb?" He cried, "That you, brother?" The stocky Tracker nearly bowled Jayne over in a tackle-hug. "Hey man! How you been? Hey, you know, it's been like years since we talked, but I been keeping tabs on you, bro; what _le-se_ you into now? _Gou-shi_! I don't hear nothin', I don't see nothin', then BAM! My friend Jayne Cobb lightin' up the ADB like Christmas started early. You in some kinda trouble, man?" His narrow eyes slid to Mal. "Is it because of this guy?"

"He's on my crew," Mal took the opportunity to speak. "Captain—"

"Malcolm Reynolds, I know," Zito supplied. "You're just about as famous as my buddy Jayne, here." He winked at him. "So what can I do for you gentlemen?"

"We need to find some friends," Jayne stated. "We think they might have gone underground."

Zito grinned. "You told him I was the best in the business, didn't ya?" He slugged Jayne's shoulder.

Jayne chuckled and shrugged it off. "I owe you after that stunt you pulled after the Harvest job."

Zito grinned. "Man, you know I would do it again in a heartbeat."

"Really?"

" _Guay,_ no! But I will never forget what you did for me on Beaumonde. We real tight bros now! Follow me." He turned to enter his tiny hut.

Mal eyed it dubiously; it certainly didn't appear to be able to hold three grown men.

Zito glanced over his shoulder. "Your friends are underground, you say? Well then, that's where we're going to look for them." He gestured in front of him, and Mal peeked over his shoulder.

The structure he had assumed was a hut actually seemed to be more of a cleverly-disguised stairwell, leading deep below the ground. As they descended, the space opened wider until Malcolm, Jayne, and Zito ended up in an enormous chamber, filled with sonar, satellite, and a dozen other tracking monitors.

Jayne saw infrared displays, screens catching the Alliance news channels, and monitors showing search engines for a whole host of planetary databases.

Mal nudged him, "Kinda reminds me of Mr. Universe," he muttered.

Zito whirled on him, eyes alight. "You boys know Mr. Universe? Guay, no wonder they killed him. You're lucky I'm a lot harder to reach." He grinned and gestured to a large red button on the console, labeled PANIC in large friendly letters. "One slap of that baby, and BOOM!" He stomped on the floor next to the stairs, where Mal saw a gap about three inches wide. "Allanium doors over the only way in or out—ain't nothing they can throw at me getting past those babies! And I've got provisions down here to last me a whole lot longer than any operative is willing to wait." He grinned. "So... What names do I search for?"

Mal produced a pair of images, one of Kaylee, one of Simon. "Their names are Kaylee and Simon Tam, but if they're in hiding, they might use different identities when they have to surface."

Zito ran the names. When the results came up, he let out a low whistle. "Oh, Wo de ma he ta de feng kuang de wai sheng dou!" He spluttered. "This is bad! This is real bad! This is some real bad le se!"

"How so?" Jayne asked.

Zito turned to him with terror on his face. "The Alliance wants them in custody."

"That's not so bad, is it?" Mal asked. "I mean, how is that different than the rest of us?"

Zito shook his head. "You all? They want you dead, eventually. You're none of you worth much to the Alliance any more. They just don't care. These guys?" He tapped the images. "Your friends? They want them NOW. That means they've got scanners and soldiers scouring the Galaxy looking for them. It's a lot tougher for me to find them without getting caught, if the Alliance is already on their tail."

Jayne and Mal exchanged a look, and Mal nodded.

Jayne relayed the wordless confirmation to Zito. "We really need to find these people. And fast. You do whatever you need to do, but this is important."

Zito considered for several moments. Finally, he turned back to the screen. "All right; for Jayne Cobb, I will do this! I'll need to just activate my Faces..." He entered a message on one of the screens. When he finished, he turned back to them. "All right. There are people on just about every planet looking out for your couple. If they are somewhere the Alliance doesn't know about, we can keep it that way." He clasped his hands and looked very pleased with himself.

Malcolm frowned in confusion. "Wait, so that's it?"

Zito nodded. "That's it. What can I say," he spread his hands. "I am the best in the business." He stood. "Thanks for stopping by."

"So how long will this take?" Mal insisted. "You've got people keeping watch, but how will we know if somebody finds them?"

"I'll contact you," Zito assured him. "These things take time. Could be days, could be years. But don't call me first! I don't have much security on incoming calls. When I find them, I will call you. _Dong le ma_?"

Jayne nodded.

Zito followed his guests up the stairs.

"You boys be careful out there," he warned. "Word from the Core is that the Allied planets seem to be getting tighter."

Mal tilted his head. "Tighter?"

Zito nodded. "More interplanetary commerce, increased military activity, more communication between outposts... You best stay away from those if you can help it."

Jayne saw the flicker in his friend's eye; Zito was spooked at something, but what? Why the sudden shift in the Alliance?

Captain Malcolm and Jayne left Zito's hideout and returned to the ship.

The whole situation didn't sit well with Jayne. He fidgeted.

"So now what do we do?" He asked the captain.

Mal sighed. "I guess we wait."

* * *

 _ **Two Years Later... (Present day)**_

Jayne stood in the improvised shooting range, one of the largest smuggling holds at the base of the ship. He aimed carefully at his target, using support from his elbow and shoulder to hold his hand steady.

Breathe.

Fire.

"Yipe!"

Direct hit.

Lief jumped to his feet and filled the air with the small hollow beads, but Jayne had already moved. He waited till he heard the series of clicks that signaled an empty clip and then he emerged from his hiding spot. He strode forward till the muzzle of his training gun rested on the boy's chest.

"Bang," he said. "You're dead."

"Aww, _ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng_!"

"Hey! We talked about how your mom said she doesn't want you cursing! You gotta learn not to waste your ammo."

Captain Mal appeared on the walkway above them. "Ah! Just the man I wanted to see," he said.

Jayne glanced up as he and Lief set aside their guns. "Looking for me?"

"No," said Mal. "Lief; come on up, son. I've got a very important job for you."

Man and boy glanced at one another in confusion. Since when did Zoe allow Mal to start giving her son jobs? They climbed up to the cargo hold, where the rest of the crew assembled.

"All right, so first of all, we all know about the job from Badger, delivering a crate of medical supplies to the dispensary in Echelon."

Jayne cast a quick glance at Zoe; she could barely conceal the apprehension in her eyes, and her lips were tight as she compulsively ran her fingers through Lief's hair.

"And?" He prodded the captain.

"What you don't know, and what I just found out, is that Kaylee and Simon are here too."

Inara sat forward, her eyes alight. "What? We found them?"

Mal nodded. "Just got the word from our Tracker friend. They're using false names, so we gotta assume they are under Alliance watch. What we want to do is be able to get them to the ship without tipping anybody off." He nodded to Lief. "That's where you come in."

Lief picked up his head as the conversation got significantly more interesting.

"Here's how it's going to be: Jayne, you will deliver the goods and get eyes on Simon; he's probably going to be there, since his cover is still a doctor. Inara will take Lief and head to the town market, where we think Kaylee will be. She'll watch him as he lays down a trail of these toys," he handed the boy a case everyone knew contained plastic dinosaurs, "to get her out of the city and toward the ship." He nodded to Lief. "Understand? You'll just be playing, but when Aunt Inara tells you it's time to move, you leave one behind and keep going, okay?"

"Okay," Lief replied.

Zoe huffed. "Sir, I just don't see why I can't be the one to venture out with my son."

"Zoe, it's going to be fine," Mal assured her. "Inara is an expert at blending into a crowd, and Lief can play and watch her signals, and Kaylee won't even know she is being shadowed." He looked around at each of them. "This plan has got to go off without a hitch. We can't afford to lose them at this point. Whatever is going to happen is bound to happen soon, and we need answers."

The crew nodded soberly.

"All right," said Mal. "Let's move out."

* * *

Jayne loaded the medical supplies onto the mobile cart. He could still see Zoe and River watching them from the cockpit. Once he was out of sight, Jayne slipped on the hat and jacket emblazoned with the Alliance Medical patches, and slipped into his role as a courier.

Echelon bustled with people, but nobody gave him a second glance. He passed by the lane leading to the marketplace and nodded surreptitiously to the veiled Inara.

Further on, a matching medical symbol to the ones he wore denoted the dispensary. A woman sat at the reception desk just inside the door. Her blonde hair had been styled severely and she wore a starched uniform.

"Can I help you?" She asked when the courier poked his head through the door.

"Supply delivery from Ariel?" Jayne offered, glancing around the tiny building. There didn't seem to be anyone else but the woman at the desk and one more behind the counter. Were they wrong?

"The stockroom is around back," she said. "Leave the crate at the door."

Jayne followed her directions. He had just offloaded the crate when he heard a door slam. He glanced toward the curtain leading into the dispensary as a familiar voice spoke.

"Penny, I've just had a call from my wife and it's an emergency. Cancel my consultations for today!"

Jayne bit back a laugh as the receptionist spluttered, "The whole day, Dr. Thorne?" But the door slammed and Dr. Silas Thorne dashed off down the lane toward his house.

Jayne followed, keeping the tarp loosely supported on the cart. He arrived in the doorway just as the doctor emerged with a suitcase in each hand.

Confusion twisted the impeccable features. "What—"

Jayne opened the tarp to reveal a space big enough to conceal a man, but still look like a pile of crates from the outside. "Need a ride, doc?" He met Simon's gaze.

Recognition melted the confusion, but Simon wisely did not reply. Instead, he ducked under the tarp and let Jayne fasten it over him.

Jayne hailed the Serenity on his radio. "Got the package. Heading home!"

Zoe responded, "Package 2 has just arrived. Ready for takeoff!"

Jayne gunned the cart as fast as it would go, and reached the ship just as Kaylee entered the bay doors. He scooted the cart inside, sealed the airlock, and felt the engines rose to life.

Mal stood on the bridge as Simon climbed out of the tarp.

"Welcome back, you two!" He announced proudly.


	6. X Marks The Spot

Mal wandered the corridors of his ship, just enjoying the fact that it felt full and busy all over again, just like old times—with a few changes.

"Oh, gorram this all-fired filthy ringwormed piece of—"

"Hey!" He stopped and regarded Kaylee, up to her elbows in engine parts, wrestling with a particularly perplexing mechanism. "I thought you didn't use that kinda talk in the engine room."

Kaylee glanced up, red-faced, and brushed a piece of hair out of her vision, leaving a black streak along her forehead. "Guess I just lost my touch," she muttered. "And these skirts weren't made for machine work!" She passed it off with a laugh and kicked at her frilly, lacy hem.

Mal raised an eyebrow. "What, no more coveralls?"

Kaylee wiped her sleeve across her greasy forehead, leaving a thick black mark on the cotton fabric. "Guess I just got into the habit of these things while I was back home," she stammered. "Haven't worn pants in a while." She glanced up at Mal, but only briefly. "I've always liked dresses, you know that."

Mal opened his mouth to ask what had happened on Charis, why they disappeared, but what came out was, "Well, we will just have to see about getting you proper attire, ma'am!"

A bit of the old Kaylee bubbled to the surface as she giggled and returned to her work.

Mal rounded the corner and headed down to the medical bay.

It struck him, the notion that the last six years had never happened, as Simon stood in the exact same place he always occupied, at the counter near the back corner, flipping through files on the holographic console.

"Everything in order here, Doctor?" Mal inquired, striding through the door.

Simon turned to face him, a wide grin over his face.

"You're telling me Zoe had her baby here? On the Serenity?"

Mal chuckled. "As far as I could tell, she wouldn't have it any other way. Wild horses couldn't drag her from this ship." He clapped the medic on the shoulder. "Thanks to you, we had a sterile environment to work in."

Simon tilted an eyebrow. "We?"

Mal shrugged. "Well, okay, Inara presided over the birth; River may have helped a little."

"So I heard," Simon remarked with a grin. "Poor thing, with all her intelligence I don't think it ever crossed her mind where babies come from."

"And now she'll never forget," Mal shook his head.

Simon returned to browsing the files.

"So tell me about these new formulas here—it's not Pax again, is it?" A flick of his fingers brought the display into holographic mode so both men could see it.

"Well," Mal rested his hands on his hips, "I was hoping you could tell me more. We know that this," he pointed to the small matrix in the corner, "is the original Pax, but then this," he gestured to a list of chemicals and compounds, "is a whole bunch of added stuff, but we don't know if they're modifications or making a whole new drug out of it, or what."

Simon glanced over the information. "At first glance, it seems that there are a few reactions that are intended to happen, since these two strains are commonly used as catalysts," he selected a few formulas, "but I can't be certain just by looking. This is only the blueprint, after all; one can't really judge the effects of a house just by examining the layout."

Mal snorted. "We're looking at chemical formulas and you're talking about a house," he marveled. "Guess it runs in the family after all."

Simon wagged his head as he conceded the point with a laugh. "Do you want me to synthesize these changes so we can see what comes out?"

Mal shook his head. "There's no cause for that yet, and I don't want any trouble where there doesn't need to be. Just keep studying it, see if anything comes up."

Simon nodded. "Of course."

"Captain!" Zoe appeared in the doorway, out of breath and eyes alight. "You're going to want to see this."

Captain Reynolds and Simon shared a glance and followed the first mate.

In the cockpit, Kaylee stood next to River as the young woman busily entered a course for the ship to follow. In Kaylee's hand was the globe—but now it had a thin trail illuminated along its surface on one side, and a wide blinking dot some distance away.

"Where the hell did that come from?" Mal cried, taking the globe and examining the glowing portions.

"I was just tinkering with it," Kaylee admitted. "Zoe said you couldn't get it to do anything, but it was obviously intended to turn on, so I kept trying different things till one of them worked."

Mal turned the globe over in his hands. "So now what do we do with it?"

Zoe gestured to the young copilot still busily entering coordinates. "River says it's a map."

Mal leaned over to her, getting the globe in different light to maybe reveal something else. "A map? Really?"

River tilted her head and began to sing, "X marks the spot, a circle and a dot; one, two, three, four, five, six, seven—Zap!" She punched the program button as she said the last word, and the Serenity shuddered to life.

Mal glanced to Simon—a common reaction from the crew whenever River said something they didn't understand.

Simon only shrugged. "It's a nursery game we used to play, tickling the pressure points along the spine." He gestured toward the globe.

In Mal's hands, the thin glowing thread began pulsing, stretching longer as they progressed. A dot appeared at the end, surrounded by a pulsing circle. On the far side of the globe, an X marked the projected destination.

Mal moved over to the main console and checked the flight path River had entered. "Janus?" He saw the planet at the destination coordinates. "That's pretty damn near the Core!"

"Course it is!" Jayne grumbled from the doorway as Lief dashed under his elbow toward Zoe. "We found the gorram thing with Alliance data—wouldn't it make sense for it to take us around Allied planets?"

Mal frowned. "Yeah... But why?"

"Guess we'll find out when we get there," Zoe murmured, running her fingers through her son's wiry hair. He stared up at Kaylee with a sleepy expression.

"You're real pretty," he murmured softly.

Kaylee blushed, and Zoe gathered the young boy in her arms to carry him out.

The young mechanic fidgeted with her long, dark skirt as she moved toward her husband. They kissed, and she muttered something about checking the aft thrusters.

Jayne caught this, and his face twisted in a naughty smirk as he watched the couple leave. Hairs prickled on the back of his neck, and he whirled around.

River had slipped from her chair and now stood behind him. She seemed to be staring at the Tams as well.

She tilted her head to one side. "They are different," she murmured.

Jayne snorted. "Of course they are; it's been a long time. We've all changed." He chuckled. "What do you think they're going back there to make babies?"

River didn't seem to get the joke. "Kaylee has no room for a baby; she is carrying nothing."

Jayne squinted at the young girl. "I can see that she isn't carrying anything; why would you—"

"Nothing isn't the same as not anything," River chided him. "There is nothing where a baby should be." She turned back to fix her gaze on the swirling skirt. "The absence of a baby, the opposite—like antimatter is the opposite of matter, yet it is capable of occupying the same space as matter. Kaylee has an anti-baby." She smiled as if she had made a joke of her own.

Jayne's face scrunched in a frown. "I don't get you," he muttered, stomping away.

Mal glanced at River when she slipped back into her chair.

"X marks the spot, huh?"

She sat silently, watching the open space coast by.

Mal tried again. "What do you suppose will happen when we get to Janus?"

River's only response was to sing the rhyme again.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven—Zap!"


	7. Kaylee's Secret

Kaylee Frye Tam stood in front of the tall mirror Inara had lent her for the berth she and Simon shared. The skirt hung nicely, the neckline was almost right—Kaylee tugged at the bodice till it lay flat, smoothed her hair from her face and smiled at the impeccable reflection.

Simon poked his head through the door.

"Captain says we're almost—"

He stopped at the sight of her.

Kaylee looked up at her husband, hope on her face, notwithstanding the fear in her eyes. He came to stand close to her, and she immediately reached for his hand.

"We're pulling into Hermes now. Are you ready?" He asked.

Kaylee sighed, caught the corner of her lip between her teeth, and nodded. "I'm just—"

"I know." Simon wrapped his arms around her. "Remember what we practiced?"

Kaylee nodded. "We take the beacon with us, in the stroller. The checkpoint is in the terrace garden of the museum. Once it checks in, we walk back out—oh, but Simon!" She clutched at him. "What if we get caught?"

"You won't get caught. Zoe will be there too, and Lief. Just stay with them. There's nothing to it. Just think of all the times we've done—"

"Hush!" Kaylee cut her husband off as small footsteps pounded over the grated walkway outside.

"Auntie Kay-Kay!" Lief called. "We're ready to go to the yuzeum!"

The young boy was full of anticipation for an outing full of wonderment—at least something more exciting than the limited confines of the spaceship.

Kaylee emerged from the room. Zoe awaited her, dressed in leather culottes and a frilly blouse—as feminine as she would go for a mission like this. She caught the dubious glance from Kaylee and rolled her eyes.

"I look just as fine as you do, and it's still in style," she protested. "I don't hold with being hampered by skirts in case anything happens."

Kaylee bobbed her head. "Whatever suits you," she said.

Mal emerged from the cockpit, grinning when he saw his first mate and mechanic all dressed up.

"You ladies make a mighty fine couple!" He gushed.

Zoe snorted. "That's what people are supposed to think."

Mal gestured to the door below. "We've docked. Are you ready?"

Kaylee nodded.

"As ready as we'll ever be," said Zoe.

"Let's just check in an be done with this, shall we?" Kaylee huffed.

Mal made a flourishing bow. "Your baby carriage awaits!"

Jayne trundled the vehicle out of the hold as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "Globe's inside," he said, pointing to the mass of frilly blankets. A soft, steady beeping issued from the pile.

"So," Zoe mused. "The beeping will get faster as we get closer to the checkpoint?"

Mal nodded. "That's the idea; just like on Janus."

Zoe almost grabbed the handle, but Kaylee stepped forward. "Maybe I should—"

Zoe stepped back and waved a hand. "Go ahead." She held Lief's hand, and the two ladies exited onto the surface of Hermes, the perfect model of a happy family unit.

Zoe started coughing almost instantly. The dust kicked up by the low-hanging chaps and the swirling, ruffled skirts made her eyes water and her lungs burn. Kaylee calmly held a handkerchief before her face, breathing behind it like a filter.

Zoe pointed to a side street. "That's the road to the museum," she said.

Kaylee turned to follow her, but a few yards down the lane, Zoe felt a tug on her arm and Lief called out, "Auntie Kay-Kay!"

Zoe stopped and turned back. Kaylee had halted before a boutique display window, where a robot in the shape of a small child waved her arms and bobbed her curly head while modeling a frilly dress with puffed sleeves.

"Kaylee!" Zoe murmured urgently. She was surprised to see tears in the young woman's eyes. "What are you getting sentimental for?" Zoe chided. "It's not even your size. Come on, the museum is just ahead!"

Out by the main road, a burst of radio chatter caused them both to tense. Zoe saw the sentries standing watch abruptly jerk to attention, and lean forward, as if scanning the crowd.

"Are they looking for us?" Kaylee whispered.

"Just keep your head down and let's go," Zoe hissed. "If they are, they haven't seen us yet."

Kaylee didn't say another word, but ducked her head low and followed Zoe.

They arrived at the museum, but Zoe felt her heart sink.

"More guards," she nodded toward the path they were supposed to take.

"We're not in trouble yet, right?" Kaylee observed.

Before Zoe could respond, Kaylee bent down and whispered something to Lief. The boy grinned, nodded, and as soon as Kaylee straightened to reclaim the carriage, he took off running, right for the ramp with the guards.

 _"Oh no!"_ Kaylee cried, sending the carriage crashing into the heels of a gentleman with his lady walking by.

"I say!" He cried, sending the guards surging forward—while the little boy slipped in behind them and up the ramp.

The guards stopped Kaylee, seizing the edge of the carriage, and almost allowing the blanket to slip off the beeping globe.

"What's going on here?" Barked a sentry.

Kaylee pointed toward the ramp with real fear in her voice. "My son has just run away! I'm so very sorry!"

The sentry glanced toward the little dusky-skinned boy with the wiry hair, just waiting for someone to chase him, and back to the fair, petite woman claiming him. "Your son?"

Kaylee smiled and reached for Zoe's hand. "Yes, _our_ son," she stated.

The sentry nodded as if he understood. "That area's not open to the public; you'll need to call him down."

Zoe felt her heart racing. Not open? How were they going to get to the checkpoint? What was Kaylee doing with her son?

Kaylee nodded. "Lief, honey, come down please!" She called.

"No!" Lief retorted, stamping his foot and retreating further up the ramp.

"Listen to your mothers, Lief!" The sentry joined in.

"Lief," Zoe commanded firmly. "Get down here now!" Even at six years old, she saw in his face that he knew better than to disobey that tone.

Lief—her flesh and blood—promptly turned and scampered out of sight.

"Can't catch me!" They heard him call.

Kaylee's face elongated in a look of pure horror. "Oh dear!" She gathered her skirts and charged up the ramp, calling as she went. "Lief? Lief! You come back here, naughty boy!"

Zoe caught the confused fidgeting of the sentries, even if she couldn't see their faces behind the helmets.

"You stay here," she said. "We'll just be up to retrieve my— _our_ son, and we'll come right back down."

She didn't wait for an answer, but charged up the ramp, pushing the carriage along with her.

* * *

Less than an hour later, the three sat in the galley, debriefing with the captain, Inara, Simon, and Jayne.

Mal shook his head, still laughing at Zoe's re-telling. "I think I'd have liked to be there, just to see it all happen!"

Zoe nodded, chuckling. "I tell you something, captain, it was pretty much exactly the sort of plan you would have come up with in our situation! And Kaylee handled it so well." She nodded seriously at Simon. "You should be proud of your wife, doc. She can grift with the best of them."

Simon held Kaylee a little closer, the spark of merriment suddenly extinguished in their eyes. "Thank you, I am proud of her," he said warmly.

"So once the globe checked in..." Mal prompted.

Zoe shrugged. "The rest was easy. The next location lit up, we marched back out and came more or less straight here."

"What about those sentries on the street?" Jayne asked. "Weren't they looking for you?"

Zoe glanced at Kaylee, who suddenly flushed. "Well, I guess I wasn't paying attention on our way back," she stammered.

"If they had been after us," Zoe mused, "they probably would have stopped us before we broke atmosphere."

"So where is the globe leading us now?" Inara asked, rearranging the shawl about her shoulders.

"According to the coordinates on the trajectory," Mal began, "or whatever River calls it, we are on a direct route for Nemesis."

"Nemesis?" Simon frowned pensively. "Now why does that sound familiar?"

"More specifically," continued the captain, "the medical center on Nemesis."

The whole group looked straight at Simon.

He shrugged. "Okay, so maybe I heard of Nemesis in medical school; I certainly have never been to that side of the galaxy!"

"Given that it's a hospital," Zoe remarked. "I think it's time you stepped up and did your part like us ladies have."

Mal nodded. "Sounds fair. All right, the doc and I will get off this time, and we can carry the globe in—"

"A MediCrate," Simon interrupted. "It's most commonly used for sensitive equipment, it's impervious to scanners, and medics are allowed to transport them without being opened—provided the instruments are photosensitive."

Mal blinked just once. "Okay," he said slowly. "That sounds like a pretty solid idea. Meanwhile, everybody rest up. It'll be at least another hour before we break wind on Nemesis." He glanced around with a sly grin, but the only one to catch his eye was Inara, and she rolled hers.

"Oh come on!" Mal called after his dispersing crew. "You have to admit it's clever!"

Jayne snorted. "Not clever enough," he grunted.

"Doesn't anybody respect the captain's sense of humor around here?" He complained to the empty galley.

* * *

Arriving on Nemesis and negotiating with the port authorities was easy. Finding their way to the business sector was simple. But it only took one glance at the rows of sentries standing guard around the hospital for Mal to feel that maybe this one wouldn't be so easy after all.

Simon nudged his elbow. "Follow my lead," he whispered quickly, and in very few long strides, Simon made it to the first pair of sentries.

"State your name and position!"

Simon didn't even blink. "Nathaniel Boracchio, and this is my assistant, Dogberry. I am a plasmofascial reconstruction specialist." He handed the guard a very real-looking badge Malcolm did not remember ever seeing before.

"Thank you, Doctor Boracchio," said the guard, a bit disgruntled at the length of the title. "Top floor is cosmetic surgery."

"Yes, I know." Somehow Simon had made it through the next two checkpoints before Mal realized what was happening. "Come along, Dogberry!"

Malcolm scooted past all those staring, wary eyes. At last, they were in the building and headed for the elevator.

"Where did you get the credentials?" Mal muttered under his breath. "And why don't I have any?"

"As my assistant, I vouch for you, of course," Simon answered. "I could have gone in by myself, but you could not have gotten in here without me."

"Are you saying those are real credentials?" Mal spluttered, watching as Simon calmly scanned himself into the elevator access lobby.

"They're as real as they need to be," Simon answered without looking at him.

"So, just to satisfy my curiosity," Mal began as they entered the elevator, "what is a plasterwhackity contortionist, or whatever it is you said?"

"Oh, that?" Simon smirked to hide a chuckle. "I have no idea. I just said that to get to the top floor."

"And you just knew they would send you up there with credentials like that."

Simon shrugged. "Of course; cosmetic surgery is always on the top floor, isn't it?"

He passed it off so casually, Mal had to believe he might be right. "I suppose that might be the case," he allowed. "I haven't been in hospitals much."

"It's all right," Simon assured him. "We'll be fine."

They made it all the way through the doors, hardly getting stopped, as Simon had a ready answer and a clever lie which he delivered with such confidence, no one dared suspect him. The globe gave one long, sustaining beep, the checkpoint tower began to glow, and then the next location lit up on it's metallic surface.

"So what do you suppose this thing is for?" Mal asked on their way back to the ship.

Simon hesitated. "Lighting the beacons?" He guessed slowly.

"But why?" Mal pressed. "So far it has been only lights, and in very sensitive locations. What are they for? What will they do? Is it some kind of cache that will track us for the Alliance? Are we headed for a trap?"

"I don't know!" Simon snapped, a little too quickly, Mal noticed. Usually it was the inquisitive doctor asking all the questions, but this time he seemed too distracted to suspect anything.

"Let's get out of here," Simon said. "They're bound to change the guard and bring in reinforcements once they notice the tower."

Sure enough, as soon as River fired up the engines, red lights began flashing all over the docks.

"Time to go!" Mal roared, shoving the thrusters and twisting the rudder to navigate them out of the slip and into open sky.

* * *

The next location proved to be the planet Perseus, and, as they had done for the last three, everyone gathered in the main hold to discuss the plan of incursion.

Kaylee didn't let anyone have a chance to speak up when Mal asked.

"Simon and I will go!" She declared.

Mal tilted his head. "Oh yeah?" He replied. "Why's that?"

Kaylee faltered only slightly, but she gripped her husband's hand and thrust her chin out. "It's my turn again, isn't it? I want to go with Simon this time."

Mal shook his head. "What if I wanted to send Jayne and Inara? After all, we're close enough that River narrowed the location down to a penthouse brothel in the center of town."

Jayne grinned and let out a single, "Ha! Yes please!"

Prim and proper Kaylee faltered at this information.

Mal shrugged. "Tell you what, you two can have the next one."

Kaylee sighed. "But it needs to be either Simon or me at every checkpoint, so that when we get to Hera—"

She stopped, and her eyes bulged, while Simon gripped her tight to quiet her.

The calm smile never left Mal's face. "Yes?" He pressed Kaylee. "What about when we get to Hera?"

"Hey!" Jayne scowled, leaning forward. "What do you know that we don't?"

"N-nothing!" Kaylee stammered.

Now Inara was on her feet. "You both are hiding something!"

"Kaylee," Zoe approached her, laying a gentle hand on her arm. She looked at Simon. "Doc, you can trust us. We're family."

Kaylee burst into frantic tears.

Mal waved a hand for attention. "All right, sit down," he ordered. "Tell us everything you know about this orb, the beacons, and the files."

Simon and Kaylee sat behind the table.

Simon leaned forward and spoke.

"All right, since a few months after you dropped us off on Charis, we've been on the run—not from the Alliance, but in it." He gestured to Mal. "Everything you've taught us about getting and using false identities, grifting, bribing for information and using that information for social maneuvers—we've been using that to get to some pretty strategic places within the Alliance circles."

"Like the medical facility on Echelon?" Zoe noted.

Simon nodded.

"Well, if you're high up and all that," Mal put in, "would you happen to know what the Alliance is planning with this?"

Simon nodded slowly. "You were right from the beginning, Mal," he admitted. "It is a new phase of the Miranda project."

"What?" Inara gasped, and Zoe looked sick.

Simon continued. "They took the formulas for Pax and made it stronger, more stable."

"And they assigned you to release it on Hera?" Mal guessed, but Simon shook his head.

"Hera is the final link, where it's going to set off the reaction that we've already started with the beacons." He pulled out Lief's holographic drawing surface and sketched a picture with his finger, four smaller dots around a larger cluster of dots. "These are the four planets we're going to, and once the last beacon is activated, on Perseus," he pointed to the last dot, "and we bring the orb to Hera, the beacons will trigger and connect these planets with cables attached to the beacons, like a ring of Dyson spheres, forming a shield around the Core and Allied planets."

"Shield?" Mal frowned. "Shield against what?"

"They're gonna release the drug into every atmosphere," Kaylee finally raised her tear-stained face. "All planets outside the Alliance will be affected."

Suddenly, the strange babblings of River made perfect, awful sense. "Safe in the circle," Mal breathed. "Tranquility comes to those outside!" What at first sounded like it should have been comforting took on a most chilling implication.

Simon nodded. "We were blackmailed into doing it for them; we did what they wanted, and they made sure we had what we needed every time we changed identities to get where we needed to be."

"Only it's not called Tranquility," Kaylee said quietly. "They have a new name for it," she looked up at Mal. "Serenity."

The whole crew burst into shouting.

"How could you?"

"Dirty, rotten traitors!"

"All this time? Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"We're family, aren't we? You don't do this to family!"

"We didn't have a choice!" Kaylee shrieked over the accusations. "We couldn't—they had—" she choked on her sobs again.

"What is it?" Betrayal aside, Mal could still feel concern for his friends. He knew how the Alliance operated when it wanted something. "What do they have on you?"

Kaylee wouldn't raise her head, so Simon answered.

"They have our daughter."

A stunned silence settled over the group. Zoe—the mother in the room—squirmed uncomfortably, probably identifying how she would feel if the ruthless Alliance took away her precious Lief.

Inara moved forward, a soothing presence after all the tension.

"How did it happen?" She asked Simon.

"Kaylee was pregnant already when we arrived. Her parents were so thrilled at being grandparents that they wound up telling everybody—including the Allied contingent at the outpost there."

"They took her!" Kaylee burst out, finally raising her head. "They took my baby and threatened to kill her unless we figured out a way to complete this task. They said we had to find a way, or—" she stopped and looked at Simon.

"Or," he finished slowly. "They would run medical trials on her and destroy her like they destroyed my sister."


	8. Santa Comes To The Serenity

_She knew what it was, though she had seen it once before, on Boreas. Her subconscious had tapped into the memory of sitting in the wide commons area next to the lobby, while her parents checked into the resort. She clung to her brother's hand while she watched wide-eyed at the magical sight no other planet could afford._

 _"What is wrong with the rain?" She asked him. "It has erased the planet!" She pointed to the vast expanse outside. There should have been mountains, there should have been valleys; at the very least she half-expected to see some kind of vegetation, as there was on every other planet she had seen._

 _He looked at her, his eyes full of knowledge. "It is not rain, Mei-mei; it is snow. See?" He pointed to it drifting down. "The moisture in the clouds freezes in crystalline form, and precipitates from it, but when it lands on the cold ground, rather than dissipating, it retains its shape and piles up, covering everything in layer upon layer of ice crystals."_

 _The little girl gawked at the notion. "And they never go away?"_

 _"They do, after a while; friction builds and melts the crystals, and they're replaced by others. But it's pretty to look at, don't you think?"_

 _"Pretty..." even at that age, her analytical mind was too strong, having an easier time computing the rate of accumulation and distribution of the crystals outside to find any pleasure in something for merely being "pretty."_

 _"Make it stop!" She had cried, feeling the terror building inside her. "We will be buried completely within six cycles!"_

 _She had spent the entire holiday absolutely refusing to look at the outside world after that. How differently she felt now! How badly she wanted to go back, to change the way she thought. Imagining the scene again, this time, she stood next to her brother and tilted her head up to watch the snow skitter over the roof. It whirled and swirled till it hit the clear domed ceiling, where it eventually slid off the slick sides._

 _"Mei-mei, look at the snow," he said. "Mei-mei, do you feel the snow?"_

 _Suddenly she wasn't just watching it fall. Her eyes no longer looked to the front, she couldn't turn away from that high, snowy roof—and just like that, there was no roof. The snowflakes swirled overhead and just kept falling, down, down to land on her face. She felt the touch, the sting, the wet, the gone. Touch over and over._

 _"Feel the snow, Mei-mei," her brother's voice said._ "It's time to wake up now. Wake up, Mei-mei!"

River opened her eyes. She lay in her bunk, but it was so cold! She reached up to feel her face, and found cool beads of moisture there. More icy grains peppered her face. She covered her head with her hand and sought out its source: Simon, grinning like a child, stood at the door of their berth, sending founts of sparking whiteness out of a beaker in his hand.

"Merry Christmas, Mei-Mei!" He said, laughing as he watched her dance in the flurry.

"You made snow!" River cried, catching a few crystals on her palm and watching them vanish.

Simon shook the last of it out of his beaker and gave a little shrug. "I had to do something to make it feel more festive," he said.

The twinkle in his sister's eyes told him he had succeeded.

 _ **"Excuse me!"**_ Mal's voice squawked out of the intercom. _**"This is your captain speaking. All hands to the cargo hold. Repeat, we have a situation! All hands to the cargo hold!"**_

River stiffened. Simon squinted in confusion. "Situation?" He repeated. "What situation?"

River was already running down the corridor.

Simon jogged after her. Ahead of them, Jayne came out of his berth, guns blazing.

"Cap'n needs help!" He barked at the siblings, as if they hadn't heard the strange message.

"Any idea what's happened?" Simon asked as they made their way down to the hold.

"Not a clue," Jayne grunted, "but whatever it is, I'll blast it wide—"

"SURPRISE!"

Simon stopped short on the catwalk as he heard the chorus of voices from below. Zoe, Leif, Mal, Inara, and Kaylee stood below, grinning up at the bewildered trio, while a fully-decorated Christmas tree twinkled and glittered behind them.

Simon had no mental preparation for the wave of relief that swept over him. He burst out laughing.

"Merry Christmas!" Kaylee called.

River gawked at the finery below.

"Where did it come from?" She gasped. "There have been no extra stops—we could not have stored..."

Mal beckoned to her. "Just get down here and let's open presents. Jayne, you can put the gun down now!"

Jayne shouldered his weapon, but after a moment's hesitation, set it down entirely and joined the crew in the hold.

"First things first!" Malcolm announced, handing a package to Kaylee. "Let's get you properly attired, ma'am!"

Kaylee smirked in confusion, but her expression grew into a full-sized grin when she pulled out the old coveralls she used to wear.

Simon nudged Jayne. "This one's from Kaylee and I," he said, handing the former mercenary a wrapped box.

Jayne reached in and pulled out what looked like a hi-tech gauntlet. He slipped it on, noting the way it fit snugly around his fingers and the contours of his palm.

"What's it do?" He pointed a single finger, sticking his thumb up like a hammer. The gauntlet game a small mechanical whine.

Mal ducked out of his way. "Whoa! Watch where you point that thing!" He cried.

"It's the latest in ballistics technology," Simon explained. "Straightening your finger arms the weapon."

"Weapon?" Jayne's eyes lit up. He pointed at the armored wall of the hold, the side he usually used for target practice when working with guns. The gauntlet discharged with enough force to produce a loud report in that metallic space—but Jayne barely even felt it.

River scampered over to the wall. "There's no bullet!" She remarked.

Kaylee handed Jayne a case full of projectiles. "We took the liberty of loading blanks so you could practice without wasting ammunition," she said.

Jayne was admiring the shape and the craftsmanship. "Well, gee," he grunted. "I don't know what to say..."

"Just as long as we can be friends again," Simon held out his hand.

Jayne almost shook it with his right hand, the one wearing the gauntlet. Instead, he laughed and shook with his left, awkwardly, but the enthusiasm was there. "Absolutely, I've got your back!"

"Me next!" Leif cried, running up to Kaylee with a basket full of strawberries.

Kaylee grinned and sampled one. "Mmmm," she moaned, "delicious!" She winked at the boy. "How did you know these were my favorite?"

Leif blushed up to the roots of his red hair. "Mama told me," he said, scrambling back into Zoe's lap.

Kaylee pulled another package out from under the tree and crouched in front of him. "Well, I have something for you, too, Leif."

He felt its weight and gasped. Tearing the paper off, he held it out. "An old book?" He cried in confusion.

Everyone's attention moved to that weathered, leather-bound tome.

"It's a Bible," Kaylee explained. "It once belonged to a friend of mine—somebody who really cared about children." She looked up at Zoe. "He would probably want Leif to hear you read from it."

Zoe nodded soberly. "Just till we get your girl back," she assured Kaylee, grasping her hand.

Suddenly, River materialized at Kaylee's elbow with a package of her own. "I bought it," she said, staring straight into Kaylee's eyes. "On Perseus. Zoe said you might like it."

Confused, Kaylee opened the package, gasping as she pulled out the toddler dress similar to the one in the shop window on Hermes. Abruptly, she clutched the dress to herself and burst into tears. She gestured to the Bible on Zoe's lap. "Heavenry," she sobbed.

"What?" Zoe asked.

"I named my daughter after Book—his real name, I mean," Kaylee sighed as the tears subsided somewhat. "Henry Evans... Heavenry; Heavenry Alexis—T-t-Tam!"

Zoe and River both wrapped their arms around her.

"We'll get her back," Zoe murmured. "You will see Heavenry again."

Kaylee nodded, but she could not stop crying. Simon walked over to help his wife out so she could grieve in private. Zoe hesitated till they reached the doorway, then strode over.

"Simon, wait!"

He stopped and glanced back at her. Zoe dug a small pouch out of her pocket. "Here, I wanted to give this to you," she said.

Simon opened the pouch and peeked inside. The vial of abortifacient solution twinkled up at him.

Zoe nodded back to where Jayne was horsing around with her son. "Guess I never used it, and I don't need it now." She pressed her lips and sighed. "Thanks for helping me see the truth."

Simon nodded graciously. "I admit, I may have overreacted, mostly because the last person close to me to consider having an abortion... was my mother."

Zoe blinked. "River," she guessed.

Simon nodded. "The doctors all told her termination was her best option, better than having a child who would never be normal. They kept calling her 'the fetus' and talking about how difficult life would be, how much easier it would be to just terminate early and move on to 'reconception.'" His lip curled as he laced the word with scorn.

"And your mother refused," Zoe finished, smiling warmly.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way," Simon answered.

Zoe nodded and Simon returned to bringing Kaylee to their berth.

Back in the hold, River sat under the tree, trying to figure out how she should change the arrangement of the ornaments to make more mathematical sense. Zoe came to sit next to her, and handed her a small box.

"These used to belong to Hoban," she said quietly. "He would fiddle with them on long flights. I think he would appreciate you having them, rather than me keeping them in this box."

River opened the box to reveal a whole set of metal hoop-and-bar puzzles and wooden-block puzzles, all unsolved.

Zoe smiled and let out a small chuckle. "He never could actually solve them. He'd always say they're just for playing with."

River picked up one of the puzzles, examining it closely. Working the torque and the dimensions and the angles, she could see exactly how it came apart, and how it all fit together again—but she dropped it back in the box.

"Thank you," she said to Zoe. The legacy of unsolved puzzles would continue in his memory.

Mal cleared his throat as Simon returned to the room.

"All right everyone," he announced. "Zoe and I have talked it over, and we've decided that there should be a change of plans."

Jayne crossed his arms. "Plans?" He grunted.

Mal nodded, "Concerning the globe. It's taken us almost a year to find all the checkpoints, and we've been following the map this whole time." The captain smiled. "But now, thanks to the revelations on Perseus, we have an advantage on the last location," he pointed to the final glowing "X", "that we didn't have before."

Simon blinked. "This time, you know it's leading us to Hera."

Mal nodded. "That's right, and I know at least a dozen different ways to get to Hera, as well. Therefore," he glanced at Zoe, who had her arm around Leif, sitting beside her, "I have proposed that we turn the tables on these Alliance goons and make our own mission: rescue Heavenry from wherever they're holding her!"

Simon frowned. "What about the Serenity dispersal? If the globe never gets to Hera, what's to stop them from setting it off here on the ship?" He subconsciously fiddled with his cuffs to steady his trembling fingers. "They could be holding her anywhere. How will we find her in time before the Alliance figures out we are on to them?"

"Simon." Inara laid a steady hand on his shoulder and waited till he turned to look at her. She held his gaze for a long moment before stating, "We _will_ find her. Listen to me: _we will find your daughter._ As long as there is still a chance they might still believe you'll do what they want, they will not touch her."

"But—"

"She's right," Mal cut in, coming to stand beside him. "But it's gonna take all of us. We are not going to give in while one of our own is in danger—yes," he responded to Simon's look of surprise. "You're still one of us... If you're willing to do what it takes."

Simon nodded emphatically. "Our days of secrets and lies and hiding are over," he said. "Whatever it takes, we'll do it."

Zoe stood. "We all will," she declared.

Jayne stepped into the group and raised his hand. "Count me in," he said.

Mal grinned. "Wonderful!" He said jovially. "Can't say as any objections would have changed anything, cause we're doing this anyway, but it's nice that we can all agree. Now," he turned to Inara. "First things first, I think we have an inside man in the Alliance upper crust that we can use to make sure nothing happens in the Core that we don't know about?"

She smiled. "I'll give him a call; I believe he can be convinced that he owes us."

"And Jayne," Mal continued. "Call up Zito; tell him we have another favor to ask."

"Got it," the burly man grunted.

"Meanwhile," Mal turned to Simon. "You and I can have a talk about what 'whatever it takes' is going to take."

"I'll man the cockpit with River," Zoe volunteered. "Coming with me, Leif?"

The boy sighed, twiddling with his hands. "Nah..." he muttered. "Wanna stay with the tree."

Zoe nodded. "That's fine. Come up when you want to."

Jayne paused on his way past the hold, after everyone had left. Leif still sat there, holding Shepherd's Bible in his lap. The former ruffian ambled through the doorway.

"What's eatin' ya, kid?" He asked.

Leif inhaled sharply and gulped. "I'm scared, Uncle Jayne," he said. "What if something goes wrong?"

Jayne regarded him quietly. At seven years old, he already felt the weight that all the adults around him had learned to ignore. Jayne tried to lighten it up.

"There ain't nothin' wrong with the Captain's plan, kid. We've done this plenty of times—"

"River says that every plan has a flaw that could ruin it completely," Leif replied, "Even the best ones." His eyes wandered to the dress Kaylee had left behind. "What if they hurt her?"

Jayne hesitated only a moment longer. "Here," he dug in his pack. "I notice you didn't get much for Christmas." He gave Leif a bundle of dirty yellow and orange yarn.

Leif unfolded it. "What's this?" He asked, sniffing it.

Jayne grinned. "I'll show ya." He took it out of the boy's hands and plunked it on his head, where it sagged slightly, having been made for a bigger head than a seven-year-old boy's. "Now this hat," he pointed to Leif's head, "is a very important hat. This hat was made for me by a bunch of wise women on one of the fringe planets. See, I was like you once: I was scared, I didn't trust anybody on this ship, I thought I had to make my own plans in case it failed—but this hat? It made me brave, it helped me believe in other people—like your pa did."

Leif looked up, a glimmer of hope in his blue eyes. "Was my dad very brave, Uncle Jayne?"

Jayne felt like he had been suddenly seized by a whip-vine tree, and it was squeezing his neck and blurring his vision. He coughed and rubbed his hand over his brow. He couldn't look at those big, trusting blue eyes just now.

"He was the bravest of us all, kid."

The look of sheer pride in the boy's face as he hopped down to join his mother assured Jayne that maybe his gift, shabby and impromptu as it was, had been the most important one given that day.

* * *

 **A/N: Merry Christmas. :) -KM  
**


	9. Simon's Choice

_**Six Years Prior...**_

Kaylee gripped Simon's hand as they watched the Serenity launch into the sky and disappear. She could not ignore the stirring, sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Are you sure we made the right choice?" She whispered to her husband.

Simon released her hand to wrap his arms around her. "We did, Kaylee." She couldn't know, but the stress of keeping Zoe's pregnancy a secret was wearing on him. Another few days and Kaylee would probably have started noticing.

He said, as much to remind himself as to convince his wife, "Getting married is the right thing to do—and being here among family is the right way to do it." Simon nodded to the sprawling plantation behind them.

Kaylee still wore a petty frown. "Zoe and Hoban married, and they didn't have to leave the ship to do it!"

Before Simon answered, they heard the crunch of footsteps behind them.

"Are you two still out here? Hurry in, Kaywinnet! The minister will be here any moment, and you're not even dressed yet!" The slender woman with the long, mahogany hair just like Kaylee's bustled up to the couple and seized her wrist in one bony hand, clutching the voluminous skirts of her drab-brown dress in the other. "This way! This way!" She chimed.

Simon shook his head and followed his bride and her mother. He was getting married!

The thought never really set in, not through the ceremony, nor the extensive party afterward, when the entire village of Nobis turned out to dance and drink and eat and cheer the couple. It wasn't till late that night (or it could have been early the next morning, Simon wasn't sure) with Kaylee in his arms, that Simon truly felt at peace. They had slept together before, but now, somehow, it felt different, and irrevocably right. He closed his eyes.

* * *

"H'up, now! H'up! Yah, H'up!"

Simon blinked awake to the lusty shouts of Dustan Frye herding the cattle in the field just beyond their bedroom window. He came further awake when he could not feel Kaylee in the bed next to him. Sitting up, his frantic eyes noticed her in the small water closet next to their room, crouched over the toilet, her face twisted into a pained expression.

He grinned at her. "Good morning," he murmured softly.

She barely unscrewed her eyelids. "I feel awf—" she gave a grimace and could not finish the word.

Simon crawled out of bed and made his way to sit on the floor next to his wife.

"Was it the party?" He asked.

Kaylee shook her head slowly and gave a deep sigh that seemed to calm her. "No, I think I was sick a few days before we landed."

Simon frowned. "All that time? Why didn't you say anything?"

Kaylee let her tousled head flop against the wall behind her. "It wasn't that bad—I kept waiting for it to go away. Then with the dancing last night, I started feeling dizzy, I slept kinda funny last night, and now I just feel all bloated and heavy and—" she caught her breath, clamped her lips shut, leaned over the toilet, and vomited.

Simon rubbed the back of her shoulders. "Here, let me check your blood. We can figure out what's going on."

Kaylee moaned, but she allowed herself to be carried back to the bed.

Simon pulled out his kit and got the hemograph scanner out. One drop of blood on the plate, and the machine began measuring levels of various chemicals and hormones.

Kaylee let out a soft moan.

Simon blinked when the screen displayed the results.

"Kaylee—"

"Hmm?" She rolled over slowly. "I'm so tired all of a sudden!" She sighed wearily.

Simon showed her the screen. "Well, it's no surprise," he said. "I'm just sorry I didn't notice it sooner."

Kaylee pried her eyes open—but when she saw the diagnosis, her eyes flew wide.

"I'm PREGNANT?" She gasped.

"Land sakes!" Jemma Frye had pushed the door open with the tray of tea things at the same moment as Kaylee's exclamation, and now she blinked wide-eyed, as if she was trying to process what she'd just heard. She set the tray at the end of the bed and swept to her daughter's side. "Kaywinnet, did I hear you right?" She grabbed Kaylee's hand and felt her forehead as if she should have a fever or something.

Kaylee smiled. "Simon's a doctor, remember, Ma? I think he would know what he's talking about." She squeezed her mother's hand. "We're gonna have a baby!"

"Oh, just wait till your father hears!" Jemma fairly danced out of the room, shouting, "Dustan! DUSTAN, guess what?"

Kaylee sighed and leaned into Simon's embrace. "Does it say how far along I am?" She nodded to the hemograph machine.

Simon glanced at it. "Says you're about four weeks from conception," he said.

"That means we were still on the Serenity," Kaylee mused. "I wonder what the Captain might've said if we were still on there and we found out."

Simon's mind immediately leaped back to the day when he stood in just such a position. "I don't think he would have had much of a problem with it, but you never know. The way Zoe freak—" He stopped and clamped down hard on his own lips, mentally kicking himself.

"Zoe?" Of course, Kaylee could guess whom he spoke of. "What does she have to do with this?"

"Nothing," Simon pulled his wife close. "Just close your eyes and rest."

"But—"

"Sssshhhh, honey. Making a baby is hard work. You'll need to get as much sleep as you can, build up your strength again."

She sighed. "Okay."

Simon slipped out of the bed when she was finally asleep. His mind spun. A baby! He would be a father in less than a year! Simon dressed fastidiously, staring at his face in the small mirror on the vanity. His life had been full of choices, most of which he had been forced into or had run away from. This would not be one of those times. He would be a family man now, and there would be no backing down, no running, and no more making decisions solely based on his own interests and advancement. From now on, he would choose that which was best for his wife and child—even if it meant they never left Charis, and he never saw his sister again.

* * *

 _ **Seven Months Later...**_

The frozen season on Charis was as vicious in its ice and storms as the dust clouds and blistering heat of the scorching season. Livestock stayed indoors the whole time, and the people only ventured out in time of great necessity.

That was why no one expected a seasoned native like Dustan Frye to show up at the meeting hall of Pluribus, the main city in their community and many miles from their little town of Nobis, in the middle of a biting, howling storm.

The meeting hall at the height of the season was typically a place to wait out the weather for visitors who didn't expect and thus probably wouldn't otherwise survive a Charisian storm. Stocked with food and supplies, it also contained tables and a few cots, where people could visit with one another till the sky cleared enough to make it back to their houses. The air hung thick with smoke from the fire and from the various cigars and cigarettes enjoyed by many. A steady hum of news and gossip kept the atmosphere lively, pausing only slightly when Dustan reeled through the door.

"Dustan!" cried the community organizer, who supervised the distribution of things in the storehouse. "What brings you here? I don't think I can recall the last time you had to come into town during a Freeze."

"Never mind, Ruben," Dustan waved his hand. "We'll be needing a few more blankets, and some soup tins and bread, if you have any. Jemma just butchered our last chicken, so we'll need some to make it till the sun comes out again."

Ruben waved off a runner to get the things. "Sure we have plenty, thanks to the Allied garrison keeping us supplied." He leaned over, pouring a short glass of gin and scooting it across the counter. "So tell me, Dustan, what changes have happened down in Nobis? Do you have unexpected guests? I know your wife; it isn't like her to send you all the way to Pluribus during a Freeze."

Dustan snorted. "Don't you remember the welcome-home party for my daughter, Kaywinnet?"

Ruben nodded with a chuckle. "Oh yeah, I heard about that. She married some rich Alliance doctor, didn't she?"

Dustan nodded. "Yep, and come to find out, she'll be expecting soon."

Ruben's eyes popped wide and he slapped his meaty palm on the counter. "Expecting?" He rumbled loud enough for patrons in the vicinity to hear. "You mean—"

"Yep." Dustan downed the rest of his gin, tugged his collar and puffed out his chest. "I'm gonna be a grandfather, come planting time."

Ruben whooped and poured him another glass. "Well, ain't that dandy! Here, drink and I'll join ya! In fact, stay a bit and I'll get you a hot meal, and pack you some extra for the new family. Congratulations, my friend!" He poured himself a gin and they tapped glasses. A few other men gravitated toward the counter to offer their congratulations. Dustan beamed with pride as he shook hands with the men of the town.

He sat at a table, and was immediately joined by a clean shaven young man in a grey Alliance uniform.

"Dustan Frye," he said, "the man of the hour!"

Dustan was still flushed with celebration, and the copious amounts of gin he consumed had loosened his manner considerably.

"Thank you, Captain Glass," he said, nodding impulsively. "I'm mighty proud of my daughter and her husband."

"Ah, the Alliance doctor," Glass mused. "You wouldn't happen to know which planet he's from, would you?"

Dustan shook his head as he chewed the rich steak before him. "One o' them Core planets, I'm guessing," he said. "Simon might'a mentioned Ariel or summat."

"Ariel," Captain Glass kept his face neutral, and Dustan wasn't watching close enough to see his body tense. "I happen to know many doctors from there, Ariel hosts a very prestigious medical academy." He paused as if thinking. "Simon, you say? This wouldn't happen to be my old friend Simon Tam, would it?"

Dustan grinned and nodded. "That's it, that's my new son-in-law! Amazing how small the galaxy is!"

The captain smiled. "Yes," he murmured. "Quite small. You know, Dustan, I've been meaning to visit Nobis, ever since the last time, when your wife was so hospitable. You wouldn't mind, would you, if I came by your farm after the Freeze lets up, to chat with Simon? He might not remember me, but I certainly look forward to reconnecting with him!"

Dustan belched robustly and rubbed his head. There was something that Kaywinnet had told him not long ago about visitors; what was it? His mind drew a blank. Dustan shrugged; friends were friends, and any friend of his was certainly welcome to be friends with Simon.

"Well, I think that sounds like a fine idea!" He said. "We'd certainly welcome any Alliance soldier into our home."

Captain Glass smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Splendid! I look forward to it already."

The captain waited till the old farmer lumbered out the door, and then stepped into a small booth to contact his headquarters.

"I've found him," he reported to his commander. "He won't get away from us this time."

* * *

Two months later, a baby girl arrived, and Kaylee chose the name Heavenry Alexis, though neither Dustan nor Jemma could understand why.

Even more confusing, both their daughter and her husband seemed excessively nervous that an Alliance officer would be coming by for a visit at any time.

"It's not like they're going to arrest anybody," Dustan tried to reason with Kaylee as she cradled little Heavenry in her arms. "Trust me, they may cause trouble elsewhere, but here on Charis, we keep to our business, and they keep to theirs."

Kaylee sighed. "Pa, what do you think I've been doing all these years? Haven't you wondered just how Simon, a respectable medical student from the Core, ended up alongside a simple mechanic and a farmer's daughter—on a discontinued _Firefly_ ship?"

Dustan shook his head. "Now, Kaywinnet, ain't nothing wrong with a Firefly! That captain seemed like a fine man—a soldier and a leader if ever there was one! And as for your life these past years, what's that got to do with it? Ain't my place to wonder or speculate about those things, girl. I trust you to keep a weather head, just the same as I trust everybody."

"But, Pa—" Kaylee was trying to figure out a response, when Heavenry gave a little wriggle and promptly soiled her diaper just before spitting all over her clothes. Kaylee bounded to her feet with the sodden baby, and retreated to the room she and Simon shared.

To the cooing and squirming baby, she said what had crossed her mind about her father's remark.

"That's just the problem, isn't it, dear?" She leaned down and kissed her daughter. "Pa trusts too many people; he doesn't know enough about the galaxy not to. He hasn't seen the things I've seen on the Serenity."

Heavenry blinked slowly, rubbing her tiny fist across her face. Kaylee wrapped her in a soft blanket and left her to nap in her crib. By the time she came back out again, her father had trudged off to his chores, ending their conversation.

In the kitchen, Kaylee found Simon enjoying a cup of coffee with her mother. He smiled and held out his arm for his wife, and she settled gratefully onto his knee.

"Your mother has been telling me the trouble they had of raising a daughter to be a son," he said, burying his nose in the crook of her neck and planting a kiss on her shoulder.

Kaylee enjoyed the thrill that spread through her when he did that. "I've always had a bit of both in me," she mused. "It had nothing to do with my upbringing." She smiled at Jemma. "Ma and Pa always encouraged me to do what I wanted, so I wore pants and dreamed about fancy dresses. I admired flowers just as much as the cogs and belts of an engine."

Simon chuckled, "And the time you almost missed a fancy party in Pluribus because your ride broke down and you fixed it yourself, lace gloves and all?"

Kaylee tossed a pouting glance at her mother. "You told him that story?" She complained.

Jemma laughed. "Oh stop! It was your choice and you made it—and I dare say you ended up where you are today because of those choices, and the decision to live with the consequences."

Kaylee's merry mood dimmed. "Speaking of consequences..." she murmured.

Simon noted the change. "What is it?"

Kaylee grasped his hand at her waist. "Pa says he went and invited an Alliance officer in Pluribus to visit, now that the ice has cleared."

"Alliance?" Simon tensed. "Here?"

"Of course," Jemma waved her hand. "There's an outpost in Pluribus, there have always been a few officers. Some stay longer, they're the friendly sort. In fact, I bet you it was Captain Glass. He's been here the longest. Why, what's wrong?" The paleness of Simon's face puzzled her.

"Well, it's just that..." Simon stammered. "See, I may be the son of a prominent senator in the Alliance, but—"

Jemma blinked. "But what?"

Husband and wife shared a glance. Kaylee nodded.

Simon cleared his throat. "Ahem! I sort of had a falling out with the Alliance when we found out yet we're running illegal and potentially lethal tests on my sister."

The woman frowned. "Tests? _Sister?_ "

"They were giving her bad drugs, Ma, messing with her head," Kaylee explained. "Simon rescued her and ran away... and—" she paused to look at him. "That's how we ended up on the Serenity together. He was trying to smuggle his sister off-world."

"And the captain went and let him?" Jemma cried with a dubious expression.

Kaylee nodded. "Ma, Captain Reynolds was a soldier, but the Alliance stiffed him, so he took up smuggling, to undermine the very people who wanted to control him, who thought of themselves as better than some people."

"I realize that this might not sound like the sort of Alliance you've been accustomed to," Simon added. "But this is what the Alliance is to us."

The older woman shook her head. "Oh no; Dustan and I have talked with Captain Glass many times. His men have helped modernize and improve Pluribus, and they tell us Nobis could very well be next! Everyone loves the Alliance boys."

"Mama, please!" Kaylee begged. "These same men who are so nice to you and everybody else on Charis, would also arrest Simon and possibly torture him to find his sister—to them, she is property, a weapon they made, not a person they've broken."

"Please, Jemma," Simon added quietly. "When the Alliance officer gets here, help us hide, and don't give us away. Can you do that? Are you willing?"

Jemma pressed her lips and watched her daughter carefully. She saw a keen determination that hadn't been there when the bright-eyed dreamer left to attend a carnival on another planet, and wound up disappearing for several years without a word.

"All right," she said at last. "I'll do it."

"And you'll tell Pa—" Kaylee stopped as her father's voice hailed them from outside.

"Jemma! Kaylee! Simon! Someone to see you!"

All three of them jumped to their feet.

"They're here!" Jemma was closest the window, and saw the large grey truck rumbling down the lane.

Kaylee clutched at Simon. "Where do we go?"

"This way," Jemma wasted no time, but led them back to the bedroom where Heavenry slumbered peacefully in her crib. The woman ran her hand along the wall until a panel softly clicked open, revealing a hidden storage closet with plenty of room for two adults to sit.

"In here," Jemma helped them inside. "And don't make a sound! I will do my best to keep them from coming into this room."

Kaylee kissed her mother's hand, and Simon gave it a grateful squeeze.

"Jemma? Simon!" Dustan called from the front porch.

Jemma shut the closet door, enveloping the two in darkness. Simon and Kaylee sat with their knees tucked against each other, and in the dark, Kaylee sought her husband's hands. They heard her shut the door, and through the thin wall behind them, heard everything that went on in the front room.

"Good to see you, Captain Glass," said Dustan. "Welcome to our home."

"Jemma," said the deep, soothing voice of the captain. "Good to see you. Now, what about your guests?"

"Yes," said Dustan. "Where are they, Jemma? Captain Glass is an old friend of Simon's. He wanted to meet him and our dear Kaywinnet."

"I don't know," Jemma lied. "I was having breakfast with Simon, and Kaylee came in and told him they had to leave. They left before I could ask what was wrong."

"Huh," Dustan snorted. "That's strange; Kaywinnet was all scared of something when I told her you were thinking of coming."

"Oh, that's too bad," said Captain Glass slowly. "You told them? I was rather hoping to surprise Simon."

Silence reigned for several moments. When Captain Glass spoke again, his voice had more of an edge to it.

"You know, Dustan, you and your wife have not given me much trouble, and you know I would never do anything unjust—"

"What are you hinting at?" Dustan cut in.

"Well, here is the thing," the captain explained. "On my way here, I received instructions from my superiors that I need to take Simon into custody."

"What? I thought he was your friend!"

"As I told you; but apparently, Simon is a wanted man by the Alliance Authority—and rules, as you well know, are rules. Actually," he spoke as an afterthought, "my precise orders were to arrest you both and seize the man—it may interest you to know that he was never fully licensed as a doctor by the Alliance—but if you were to give up Simon, I could omit from my report any mention of where exactly in Nobis I found him."

"We can't!" Jemma shrieked. "He's gone, like I told you!"

"Are you sure?" Evidently her exaggerated theatrics weren't deterring the captain. "Perhaps I should follow orders after all."

Boots thumped. Locks clicked.

"Captain!"

"You can't do this! We broke no laws!"

"Harboring a fugitive, I'm afraid."

"What did Simon do, that the Alliance wants him so bad?"

"Well, Dustan, it seems your new son-in-law was responsible for unauthorized removal of a highly-sensitive government project from a secure facility."

"That's not true!" Jemma was panting hard, like she would not stop struggling, as slight as she was. "He told me it was his sister! He told me you Alliance types broke her, messed her up inside, turned her into some kind of _monster!_ It wasn't a theft, it was a rescue!"

Simon felt his heart freeze in his chest. Kaylee's hand gripped his even tighter. Nothing made a sound for several moments.

"Oh," Glass sighed in his silky-smooth voice again. "I wish you hadn't said that, Jemma. Truly, I regret this. I always respected you both."

Two hollow smacks, two bodies hitting the floor.

"Search the house!"

Simon felt Kaylee begin to tremble all over.

"Shh!" He tried to soothe her, keep her calm, keep her quiet. "Kaylee, it's okay; I'm right here."

Her breaths came in short, rapid bursts. He reached for her head and pulled her close against his chest. She curled against him, quaking furiously. He felt tears soaking through her sleeve.

The door opened, and boots stepped in.

Heavenry stirred and began to fuss.

Kaylee squeezed even harder.

The wailing overlaid the soldier trying to calm the frightened child. The sounds of Heavenry's voice trailed out of the room as the soldier carried the baby out with him.

"Well!" They heard Glass declare. "What have we here?"

"NO!" Kaylee shrieked, practically kicking the door open. She charged out of the closet in one movement, grabbing a shotgun off her father's rack in the hall as she did. "NOOOO!"

Simon exited behind her, as she burst through the door in the sitting room and brought the gun to bear on the captain.

Instantly, the three officers he'd brought with him drew their guns and pointed them at the couple. Captain Glass cradled young Heavenry against his chest.

"Shush, my dear," he tutted softly. "See? I've just gotten your daughter calmed down again. Wouldn't want to cause her any trauma at such an impressionable young age, would we?"

Kaylee stood rigid, tears pouring from her eyes. Simon placed his hands on her shoulders, sliding his arms around her.

"Kaylee," he murmured. "It's all right. I am here, and I'm not going anywhere." Looking up at Captain Glass, he asked, "What do you want?"

Glass smiled. "I was only instructed to get you—but if you really are an inseparable family unit, I am sure we could use both of you."

"To do what?" Kaylee choked out.

Glass still cradled Heavenry in his arms, giving her little bounces from time to time. "There is a job that must be done, but it's not quite ready yet. When the time comes, all you will have to do is follow all the instructions precisely, you can be a family again, earning a full pardon for any misdemeanors or infractions, and yes, even acts of treason—a full pardon," he emphasized the words, "and you can live in a nice unit on a core planet, with a well-paying job, under your real names, as citizens of the Alliance."

"And if we don't?" Simon challenged.

Glass took a step back. Heavenry seemed to realize at last what was going on, and she began to fuss and reach for her mother. "If you don't, you will be classified as property of the Alliance, with no rights to speak of—and this lovely little child will be delivered to the research facility on Ariel, and you will never see her again."

Kaylee went pale and shook all over. Her arms went slack and she dropped the gun.

"We'll do it!" She rasped. "Now give me my baby!"

Glass regarded her for a moment. "No," he answered shortly. "My dear madam, I am far more clever than you give me credit for! If I did give the child back to you, what is to stop you from disappearing completely? No, the child stays in the custody of the Alliance until the job is done. She will be well cared for, completely unharmed, in the custody of the best and most attentive foster family we can find. Once the job is done, she will be returned to you."

"No!" Kaylee broke away from Simon and lunged forward, reaching for her baby to the sound of three hammers sliding into place. "Please! Let me have my baby! We'll do anything! _Let me have my baby!"_

"I'm afraid I cannot renegotiate," Captain Glass pushed her hands away and signaled his men forward. The officers grabbed the desperate woman and dragged her back to Simon. She collapsed at his feet, hyperventilating.

"We'll be in touch, Simon Tam!" Said Captain Glass. "Don't go anywhere we cannot reach you!"

Simon waited till the officers were out of sight before allowing his knees to buckle as he collapsed beside his wife.

"We can do this, Kaylee," he said as she wept voicelessly. He felt the sobs choke him as tears poured from his own eyes. "We'll do the job, we'll get her back. We will get Heavenry back."

"My baby!" Kaylee whimpered. "My baby! _My baby!_ "

* * *

 _ **Present Day...**_

 _My baby... my baby..._

Simon found himself recalling that awful day nearly seven years ago, as he and Kaylee marched to the Alliance facility on Hera, located—as a testament to their presumption—on the edge of Serenity Valley.

All the choices he had made since becoming a father had led to this moment.

They entered the gate, orb in hand. A detachment of soldiers in white armor marched out to receive them. Simon was keenly aware of all the security cameras focused intently on them. The feed, he knew, was being broadcast through the whole of the surrounding city. They were being used for propaganda purposes.

The Tams stopped short, right in the middle of the courtyard. Simon felt Kaylee grab his hand. Silence reigned.

Simon looked directly into the lens of the foremost camera and announced, "Well? We are here!" The soldiers didn't move. Nobody reacted.

"We did everything you asked!" Simon shouted, enunciating his words clearly. "We activated all those beacons, we are here on Hera, as you ordered—now here is your orb!"

Kaylee held it in the air.

"This is as far as we come!" Simon continued. "We know what you were planning to do with this, and we want no more part of it! We are turning ourselves in!"

Kaylee stepped forward and raised her voice as well. "We will not be party to your discrimination against the outer planets, and we will no longer be part of your clandestine genocide in the name of peace and prosperit—"

A grating klaxon sounded, drowning out the rest of her words. Finally, the soldiers lunged forward and seized the couple, bringing them inside before they could say anything more.

The citizens of Serenity Valley wondered what they had just seen—but no one dared to question the authorities. Whatever happened, the Alliance would handle the situation, and life would continue as normal.


	10. I Don't Care, I'm Still Free

Just beyond the atmosphere of Hera, a dilapidated Firefly-class spaceship hovered as its occupants watched the tapped feeds from the security cameras in the facility.

River gripped the arms of her chair as she watched the soldiers grab her brother and his wife. When the doors closed, she hit the comm button to signal Inara's shuttle.

"They're in," she said.

Inara switched the frequency to hail the four mobile comms networked with her shuttle.

"Captain Reynolds," she announced, "it worked. They took them into custody, just like you said."

"That's because the Alliance is nothing if not predictable," Mal responded. "Am I right, Abbadon?"

The senator's voice crackled over the comm. _"I did not agree to your offer only to be insulted by you, Captain!"_

"Nah," Mal shot back. "You came because I made you an offer you couldn't refuse."

 _"You threatened to expose me! That would mean my death!"_

"See? Like I said, predictable!"

"Captain," Inara cut in before the irate officer could respond, "we're running out of time."

"All right," Mal replied. "Showtime, everyone! All set? Abbadon?"

 _"I'm here at the tower on Perseus."_

"Badger?"

 _"Just say the word, gov! Nemesis is pretty quiet—wouldn't mind expanding my operations..."_

"Just take care of the beacon for now. Zito?"

 _"Ready to roll on Janus!"_

"Perfect." Mal let out a quick grunt. "Getting into position... and NOW!"

The audio connection popped with the surge of electricity, but otherwise, there was no indication of what the group had accomplished.

"How we looking?" He called to Inara.

"Hold on, I'll check." She switched to Serenity's frequency. "River—"

"It worked!" The girl's voice came, frenzied and laden with concern. "They're running in the hallways, shouting at one another. I can see alarms flashing... _Oh no!_ "

Inara kept her voice calm, though her gut remained tight. "What is it?" Mal had warned them what to expect, but with River, one could not be sure just how well she was paying attention.

"The commander has just issued an order—I think they're going to execute Simon and Kaylee! _NO!_ "

"River, listen to me!" Inara said quickly. "We knew this was going to happen, remember? We have a plan."

"We need to save them! I need to land!"

" _No!_ " Inara knew she could not let River terminate the connection. "If you get any closer, we'll lose contact with everyone. Stay calm, River, and whatever you do, _stay there!_ "

"But..." River whimpered pitifully. "Simon..."

"It'll be all right, River," Inara assured her, wishing more than ever that she could be there to hold her. "I promise; the captain has a plan."

"Okay."

Inara switched frequencies. "We're on to phase two," she said to Mal.

 _"How's River handling it?"_ He asked.

"Not well."

 _"That's why I saved the best for last."_

"I know."

 _"You coming?"_

"I'll be there to pick you up soon."

 _"I can hardly wait to see you."_

* * *

Inside the facility, Kaylee felt as hollow and empty as the cameras they passed, flanked by guards, as if she was watching the empty shell of herself march down the hallway. The beacons were down, that much was certain—they had canceled the dispersal of Serenity because of it. It had to be Mal's doing. He loved throwing the Alliance into a panic.

But did he realize that the panic had placed them in even more jeopardy? If he was out knocking down the beacons, it stood to reason that he could not then be here, inside a locked down facility, ready to rescue them. She and Simon had sacrificed themselves for the rest of the universe. It would all end here.

The guards led them to a room with two chairs. They seated the prisoners and strapped down their arms and legs.

Kaylee choked as tears slid down her face. Almost seven years—and she still would never see Heavenry again. She could only hope that her supposed foster family was truly a good one—at least, if Captain Glass hadn't been lying about that.

The guards stood back from the chairs. The execution would begin any minute. The protracted stillness only increased the dread.

Something behind them clattered to the floor.

Kaylee heard the clack of clasps, and a sigh of relief.

"Okay," said a familiar voice. "Let's get them out of here before the executioner shows up."

"Let's hurry," grunted another familiar voice. "This armor's pinching my nethers!"

Kaylee gasped as Zoe appeared beside her like a guardian angel in white armor, unbuckling the straps, while red-faced Jayne assisted Simon.

"You two?" Kaylee gasped. "But we didn't—Cap didn't tell us!"

"That's cause the captain didn't want you two giving anything away," Jayne muttered.

Simon met his gaze; the two men had come a long way over the years.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Zoe moved to grab her helmet and handed Jayne his. "All right, let's go."

They slipped the helmets on, but rather than retrace their steps, Zoe led them deeper into the facility.

"Where are we going?" Kaylee whispered. "I thought we were leaving!"

Zoe stopped and turned to her, though Kaylee could not see her face through the tinted visor. "You wanted to get your daughter back, didn't you?"

Simon blinked. "She's here?"

"Figures they'd want all their victims in one kill box, in case you tried to bring heavy artillery," Jayne remarked, warning him an elbow to the chest plate from Zoe. "Ow! What?"

"She's here," she assured Kaylee. "Captain found her before we set up this plan. Stay between Jayne and me. We'll protect you."

Her assurances fell somewhat flat when they approached the doorway, only to find that it required an identity scan.

"Great," Zoe grumbled. "We didn't think about this one."

"Wait!" Cried Simon. "I think I still have—" He dug in his pocket and pulled out one of their Alliance-issued fake identity cards. He scanned it, and the doors opened.

"Great," Jayne cautioned. "But now we gotta be fast, because I doubt whoever is on security is expecting you to be up here."

"We can bluff," Kaylee suggested. "We have before."

"Fair enough," Zoe said. "We'll watch your backs."

They ducked inside, heading past rows of sealed doors until Zoe pointed. "This one."

Kaylee opened the door. The room was more like a cell, furnished with only a small table and a bed. Upon the bed sat a young girl with her father's dark hair and her mother's bright eyes. She regarded the pair of strangers with much less familiarity than the two armored guards behind them, but hopped down immediately when Simon, in his best doctor's voice, instructed, "Heavenry, it's time to come with us now."

"Heavenry?" She asked. "Is that my name today?"

Kaylee fought to keep her emotions steady as she took her daughter's hand for the first time in countless years. "Yes dear, it's your name-it can be your name forever. Come with us."

The group maneuvered out to the hallway, alert for anyone trying to stop them. So far there had not been very many passersby. Zoe figured it was a relatively new facility, and thus not heavily staffed.

Trotting next to the mother she could not remember, Heavenry tried to make sense of this dramatic change.

"Is it more brain testing?" She asked.

Kaylee didn't respond, but she reached for Simon's hand and squeezed.

They made it to the door out to the courtyard, where River had brought up the Serenity to lay down cover fire. Zoe and Jayne picked off the guards who got too close.

Simon swept Heavenry into his arms and they charged out of the blasted-out gate, into the open range beyond. Inara awaited them with her shuttle, and took off with the shields up as soon as they boarded.

As soon as the Tams were safe, River ended the firefight and pulled away. She landed in the clearing beyond the boundary wall, ready to pick up the crew on the ground. Jayne and Zoe cleared safely, and Malcolm was just climbing up the ramp behind them when a man in a grey Alliance uniform charged up behind him, weapon drawn.

"STOP!" He commanded.

Mal froze, his hands in the air.

"Well, if it isn't the elusive Malcolm Reynolds!" declared Captain Glass.

"I've heard stories about you! Tell me," he gestured to the battered ship, and its exhausted, motley crew, "is this what you always longed for? Is this any kind of life, Reynolds? You know that if you leave, you will never know a safe day; you will always be looking over your shoulder, each day may be your last. The Alliance is strong, we can take everything you hold dear, everything you believed in—is this what you want?"

Slowly, his hands still visible, Mal turned to face the captain. He shook his head. "You fellows just don't get it, do you?"

Captain Glass never wavered. "Explain it to me, then," he said patiently.

Mal spoke with a hard gleam in his eye. "You may take my love, you may take my land—hell, take me where a body can't even stand on his own two feet! But you know what you can't take?"

Glass glared, no longer quite as patient. "Enlighten me."

Mal raised a finger heavenward. "The sky, Captain. You can't take the sky from me! You fancy-pants Alliance with your laws designed to shut people out and close others in—if there's one thing I've learned, it's that Serenity isn't happy and comfortable and makin' everybody hold hands and follow orders without question; Serenity is freedom, and there is no place I'd rather be than right here!" He emphasized his words by pointing down at the deck below his feet.

A smirk played around Captain Glass' lips. His finger closed around the trigger. "Well then, Malcolm Reynolds... This is where you—"

A gunshot drowned out the rest of his words. Malcolm stood on the ramp, gun out of its holster and smoking. Captain Glass gave one last gurgling cough and slumped to the deck.

Mal nudged the body with his foot till it rested on the ground. He trudged back up to the top of the ramp.

"Close up," he told Jayne. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

The Serenity—full of her complete crew of ragtag survivors and new family members—blasted through the stratosphere of Hera and out into the wide open space.

It wasn't much, and it sure wasn't fancy...

But to every single soul on board, it was home.


End file.
